LEAGUE SANCTIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 15 June 1936, Page 5

LEAGUE SANCTIONS

MR CHAMBERLAIN'S SPEECH SPECULATION IN THE PRESS BRITISH POLICY AT GENEVA (British Official Wireless) (Received 15th June, 11.20 a.m.) RUGBY, 13th June. The newspapers give considerable prominence to the discussion aroused by the speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Hon. Neville Chamberlaid, at a political dinner on Wednesday evening, in which as the Prime Minister (the Hon. Stanley Baldwin) subsequently explained, in the House of Commons, he put forward suggestions with regard to the ending of League sanctions, which were “provisional reflections on the ItaloEthiopian dispute which had occurred to him—Mr Chamberlain—personally.” Despite Mr Baldwin’s additional comment, that the Gflvernment had as yet reached no conclusions on the matters discussed by Mr Chamberlain, in what was practically an impromptu address to an “exclusive and educated audience,” there is vigorous speculation in the press as to the relations of the Chancellor’s observations to the policy of the British delegation at Geneva when the League Council meets on 26th June, writers tending to anticipate the Government’s decision according to their individual hopes or fears. A number of questions will be addressed to the Foreign Secretary, Mr Anthony Eden, in the House of Commons on Monday, arising out of the Chancellor’s reported remarks, and in Parliamentary circles there is a growing feeling that it would be found convenient to have an early debate in the House of Commons on foreign affairs. Journalists in touch with the State of Parliamentary business mostly fix on 22,nd June as a likely date for a debate, but others anticipate an earlier date. Mr Chamberlain’s speech last Wednesday was criticised by the Leader of the Opposition, Major C. R. Attlee, speaking at Oxford, and also by Lord Davies, when addressing a demonstration in South Wales.