VEIL OF SECRECY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18595, 4 January 1935, Page 7

VEIL OF SECRECY

EMPIRE DEFENCE PLANS

SIR M. HANKEY’S TOUR

LABOR PRESS CRITICISM

(Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) LONDON, Jan. 3.

Though 'tit' Maurice Hankey is not due from Cauada until Sunday, most ol the newspapers arp' already giving prominence to the reported outcome of his tour. _ ~ . , * The Daily ’ Herald features it as the forerunner, .ot „a, full .scheme of, Empire defence. . • -It -says-that Laborites may make another attempt to secure from Mr. 1 Ramsay MacDonald a frank state 1 - ment- about these mysterious. transactions. Meantime',' it'. Mr. MacDonald does 'not. expedite - a . statement to the public, tlie*Dominions will'soon know far about. the mission Jhan even the House,of-Comment; r •),

The Herald editorially recalls Mr. Stanley Baldwin’s appeal to Germany to tear away the veil of secrecy surrounding her * military . preparations. It is stupid, mischievous and intolerable that Sir Maurice Ila.nkey’s perfectly sensible and proper, .mission'should be given the appearance of a "furtive'.conspiratorial errand by" Mr.' MacDonald) laiid t a pitiful attempt to persuade the-House, of Com-, moris that -lie was 'bri-ia- jm'yate holiday. The newest revelations about the mission _ have-rra.de it-imperative/that the' veil ’of secrecy should be torn and thatthe Government should give the world a full and -frank -statement on the defence preparations of the Empire. The Manchester Guardian sarcastically contrasts Mr. MacDonald’s. . emphasis that Sir Maurice Harikey’s visit had nq political significance with reports from Australia with reference 1 to his recommendations, adding’: “AVhether they should or sliould not have conscription is a matter fo~ the Australians themselves to decide. Doubtless, the Australian Government asked Sir Maurice Hankey’s opinion, but it is clearly a serious’ thing and a..most important- departure in policy for the secretary of the Committee on Imperial Defence to advise Australia to reintroduce conscription. One must ask in what capacity and as a representative of whom or what body of ooinion Sir Maurice Hankey is now speaking.”

PREMIER ON VISIT

NOT POLITICAL MISSION

Questions regarding the visit of Sir Maurice Hankey, Secretary to: the Cabinet, to South Africa and New Zealand were addressed to the Prime Minister by a number of Socialist M.P.s in the House of Commons recently. Mr. MacDonald said that so far as he knew it, had never., been suggested that when, in the course of his journey, Sir Maurice met Dominions- Ministers or officials he was to regard himself as being debarred from discussing matters with which, by reason of his official position, he was intimately acquainted. ‘‘We should ourselves hope to be able to take simlar advantage from a visit to this country of any person holding a prominent official position in a Dominion,’’ added the Prime Minister. ‘‘Members will not expect me to make any statement, even if 1 were in. a position to do so, on specific questions regarding the local defence position, and therefore a responsibility of Dominion Governments, which may be-raised with Sir Maurice Hankey during the course of his visit, or of the extent to which Dominion Governments have been able to inform themselves on defence questions generally in a manner supplementary to the normal channels of communication.”

Mr. Cocks: Does the Prime Minister adhere to the answer that there is no political significance at all? Mr. MacDonald: Precisely. Tho mission has no political significance. Capt. Peter Macdonald asked whether it was not very important that Sir Maurice Hankey should keep in contact with all the Dominions on these matters.

The Prime Minister agreed, and added that any conversation Sir Maurice would carry on was exactly in tho nature of official communications which went to the Dominions through tho usual channels.

Mr. Morgan Jones asked why, if Sir Maurice was on a mission, they were informed that his expenses were not being borpe by the Government. The Prime Minister : Sir Maurice Hankey is not on a mission, any more than I was on a mission to Newfoundland the (fiber day, but when I was in Newfoundland I was consulted on matters. It is perfectly absurd to imagine that anyone is going to The remainder of 'Mr. MacDonald's answer was drowned in cheers.