OPINIONS DIFFER

Northern Advocate, 10 March 1923, Page 5

OPINIONS DIFFER

NEWCASTLE INCIDENT.

FRESH PUBLICITY GIVEN. GOVERNMENTS IRRECONCILABLE. (Received 9.35 a.m.) WASHINGTON, March 8. The British Embassy published the text of Lord Curzon's Note respecting the Newscastle consuls incident and a statement explaining Britain's attitude and declaring that the withdrawal of the consuls' exequaturs was in con* formity with the 1915 commercial conventin with the United States.

Mr C. E, Hughes, Secretary of State, was informed of the intention to publish these papers. He also issued a statement outlining the American position in similar terms to those pre l viouslv usqd and published the texts of all the correspondence with Britain on the subject. Mr Hughes stresses the position in view of the fact that Britain allowed charges against the become public. It was incumbent, on the United States to investigate them carefully,' and i;he ,reiterated conclusion was that the men were innocent. Britain.'s cviednce was insufficient. . • It is understood that the State Department has intimated that negotiations with Britain will not be presumed unless the initiative u tttken by Britain.

It is interesting to note that although the United States declined to aeccpt Britain's invitation to send identical notes of instruction to British and American consuls concerning the aid they might render to their respective merchant marines until the Newcastle incident was settled, the State Department in December last nevertheless issued a circular to all its consular representatives instructing them to offer information concerning American ships only when inquiries were made, jiot otherwise. —A. and N.Z.