CABINET MEETS PREMIER CHEERED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 94, 21 March 1939, Page 7

CABINET MEETS

PREMIER CHEERED.

SITUATION UNDER REVIEW

QUESTIONS IN COxMMONS

(United Press Association-—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received March 21, 11.5 a.m. LONDON, March 20.

The Foreign Secretary (Lord Haliiax) had half-uu-hour’s audience with the King to-day, before the Cabinet meeting at 10.30 a.m.

Visitors to the Foreign Office included Sir Nevile Henderson (British Ambassador in Berlin), Sir Erie Phipps (Ambassador in Paris), and M. Tilea (Rumanian Minister). Later Messrs G. R. Atlee and A. Greenwood (Labour Leaders) interviewed Mr Chamberlain.

Tlie Cabinet meeting ended at 12.15 p.m.

Three hundred persons cheered Air Chamberlain when he left Downing Street for the House of Commons with cries of “Good Old Neville.”

Asked in the House whether the Government was recognising the annexation of Czechoslovakia.. Mr Chamberlain replied : “The Government, in concert with other Governments, is considering all the consequences of the German action before a statement is possible.” The Premier added that the House was aware from liis speech at Birmingham of the serious view the Government takes of the situation.

In reply to Air Attlee, Mr Chamberlain promised a fuller statement at the earliest opportunity. He declined to say with how many Governments he was communicating. Mr Chamberlain said that he was circulating the text of the agreement of March 15 between Herr Hitler and Dr. Hacha (then President of Czechoslovakia.). He added: “As far as 1 am aware, no written ultimatum was presented to Dr. Hacha before his acceptance.” MR HUDSON’S TOUR. A British Official Wireless report says that -Mr Chamberlain, replying to a question relating to the consultation with other Governments adhering to the principles of the League Covenant and the Kellogg Pact on common measures of defence against unprovoked aggression, emphasised that the whole situation is at present under review by the Government. He declined to accept the suggestion that military representatives should accompany Mr R. S. Hudson to Warsaw and Moscow, pointing out that the, object of Mr Hudson’s mission was economic. Mr Chamberlain also made clear that the stater n t in his Birmingham speech, that “every aspect of national life must l>e revised in _ the light of the country’s national safety,” covered the question of a revision of the national defence programme. ACTION AGAINST RUMANIA UNLIKELY. An Independent Cable Service message states that the Evening (standard says the belief is growing in London that German military action against Rumania is unlikely at present because. firstly, of inadequate reads and railways in the Carpatho-Ukraine; secondly, the Iron Guard is now imjxitent; thirdly, no efforts have been made to loment trouble among the German and Hungarian minorities in Rumania.