MR RAMSAY MACDONALD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21924, 8 April 1933, Page 11

MR RAMSAY MACDONALD

VISIT TO WASHINGTON FORMAL INVITATION (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) WASHINGTON, April 6. The formal invitation for Mr MacDonald to visit President Roosevelt was handed to the British Ambassador today. THE WORLD CONFERENCE MAY BE HASTENED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 6. Asked in the House of Commons if his visit to Washington would have the effect of postponing the World Economic Conference, Mr MacDonald replied: “ Quite the opposite, I hope. I would like to hurry it up.” INVITATION ACCEPTED WASHINGTON, April G. (Received April 7, at 6.5 p.m.) Prompt acceptance was received by President Roosevelt to-night to his invitation to Mr MacDonald to visit him. LEAVING NEXT WEEK (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 6. (Received April 7, at 5.5 p.m.) Mr MacDonald will leave on April 15 in the Berengaria to visit President Roosevelt, and he will return by the same steamer. PREPARATORY CONFERENCE INVITATIONS ISSUED. NEW YORK, April 6. (Received April 7, at 8.30 p.m.)

The Washington correspondent of the New York Times says; “ Happy over Mr MacDonald’s acceptance of the invitation to come to Washington, President Roosevelt and Senator Hull revealed that an invitation which would envisage a virtual call to an international conference at Washington preparatory to the world economic conference, had been extended to various Powers through resident diplomatic envoys and through Mr Davis during his visits to the capitals of Europe. It is learned that President Roosevelt to-day let M. Claudel know that he would be very pleased if France chose to send M. Herriot. Of course it is not known if such designation is acceptable to MM. Daladier and Paul Eoncour, but his position in respect to debts and his general liberal tendencies would make his prestige great if he came. Diplomats representing Italy, Spain, Sweden, Greece, Czechoslovakia, Rumania, Denmark and Hungary visited Senator Hull during the day, and it is understood that they were informed that their representatives would be most welcome. In the case of Signor Rossi the invitation was made broad enough to indicate that Signor Mussolini would be welcome if he chose to come.

“Meanwhile a draft of the legislation granting the President power to negotiate reciprocal tariff agreements has been completed and will be presented to the Congress shortly, while President Roosevelt, in a statement yesterday, mentioned the possibility of disarmament as a Washington Conference topic, and from Paris comes reports that the French would like to discuss the question of maintaining the world’s political status quo for a term of years. There seems to be a strong belief here that real progress will be made in neither of these subjects during the April meetings. Strictly economic matters, which include war debts, are expected to be the basis of the only effective advance in understanding. The administration continues to hope that France will have met her last December debt instalment before the conversations begin. The procedure of the discussions now contemplated includes conversations between Mr MacDonald, President Roosevelt, Senator Hull and the French representative, from which they will seek the development of triangular accord in respect to the agenda for the world conference. Then there will be private conversations between President Roosevelt and Senator Hull and the respective envoys and possibly general discussions between the entire group.