FOREIGN POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23220, 14 December 1938, Page 15

FOREIGN POLICY

CHAMBERLAIN'S PLANS ANNOUNCEMENT EXPECTED WORLD-WIDE BROADCAST HERR HITLER'S INTEREST By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received Decomber 13, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 13 Mr. Chamberlain's speech at the Foreign Press dinner to-night will be broadcast to the world, and it is expected to indicate the lines along which he will seek to develop British foreign policy in the coming months, says the diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. An indication of what is in Mr. Chamberlain's mind was given by the statement of Air. 0. Pirow before his departure for South Africa, which was made after a long conversation with Mr. Chamberlain, says the correspondent, who also stresses Mr. Pirow's reference to the need for a contribution from the other signatories to the Munich agreement. The chief of the Press Bureau of the German Foreign Office, Dr. Gottfried Asehmann, is coming to London to attend the .dinner. It is thought his instructions are to report to Herr Hitler upon Mr. Chamberlain's speech. Replying to questions in the House of Commons yesterday Mr. Chamberlain said that Germany had not officially requested the return of colonies.

In the course of liis statement, Mr. Pirow said: "I leava Europe with a feeling of almost uitqualified anxiety. The one gleam of hope, to my mind, is the fact that the Prime Minister, Mr. Chamberlain, will spare 110 effort to secure a lasting basis for peace. His phenomenal success at Munich encourages one to believe that he may also save the present situation. At the same time, it must be accepted that he has made all the advances which can reasonably be expected, and a gesture should now come from one or more of the other parties to the Munich agreement."

BY-ELECTION TEST DUCHESS OF ATHOLL FOREIGN POLICY ISSUE STRAIGHT-OUT CONTEST Independent Cable Service (Received December 13, 0.50 p.m.) ' LONDON, Dec. 13 The important by-election campaign for the Kinross and West Perth seat, on the foreign policy issue, is in full swing, with the nominations yesterday leaving a straight fight between the Duchess of Atholl (Independent) and Mr. W. McNair Snadden (Conservative) . Mr. Winston Churchill, in a letter to the Duchess, says: "You are no doubt opposed by many Conservatives as loyal and patriotic as yourself, but the fact remains that outside our island your defeat would be relished by enemies) ,of Britain and of freedom all over the world."

After differences with Mr. Chamberlain on foreign policy, particularly regarding Spain—she is a strong supporter of the Republicans—the Duchess resigned her post as a National Government whip in April last. A majority of the committee of the Kinross and West Perth Unionist Association disagreeing with her opposition to the Government's policy, the Duchess resigned her seat as a Conservative member in order to fight a by-election on the foreign policy issue.

TALKS IN ROME MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S VISIT NO PRIOR ASSURANCES 1 (Received December 13, 6.5 p.m.) British Wireless LONDON, Dec. 12 The approaching visit to Rome of Mr. Chamberlain and Viscount Halifax was the subject of questiftns in the House of Commons to-day. Mr. Chamberlain said he was not prepared to give assurances beforehand as to what he would or would not agree to in discussions there.

The Prime Minister added that his visit was primarily intended to make personal contact with Signor Mussolini. If any agreement should be entered into in tho course of their conversations it would be submitted to the House of Commons for discussion.