MR MACDONALD

Southland Times, Issue 20903, 12 October 1929, Page 7

MR MACDONALD

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED PRIME MINISTER NOW IN NEW YORK VISIT TO PHILADELPHIA (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) Washington, October 10. His mission of peace accomplished and the message of British goodwill delivered, Mr Ramsay MacDonald bade farewell to the capital of the United States and departed on his long homeward journey. The sincerity which so captured the imagination of official and unofficial Washington, was more apparent than ever in the head of the British Government as he said goodbye to the representatives of President Hoover at the station before leaving for Philadelphia, and a large throng was gathered to obtain a final glimpse of Mr MacDonald and Miss Ishbel MacDonald. Addressing them ho said: “I am sorry to be leaving you.” His visit to Philadelphia is unofficial, being purely for the purpose of lunching with Dr Solis Cohen, who treated him for bronchial trouble in 1927. The treatment was so successful that Mr MacDonald has never forgotten the services the physician performed. Immediately the -luncheon ends Mr MacDonald proceeds to New York. Washington has been captivated by the Prime Minister’s personality and frankness, and wherever he went he was cheered in the streets by all who recognized him.

At Baltimore an ovation from several hundred people greeted Mr MacDonald and Miss Ishbel when they came to the observation platform of their car during a five minutes’ stop to-day. A message from Philadelphia states that the Prime Minister arrived before noon and gave a luncheon to the physicians and nurses who tended him at Jefferson Hospital when he was ill there two years ago. In addition to the reception committee a delegation of 36 British war veterans formed two lines at the station through ■which Mr MacDonald passed. He shook hands with every man. The crowd on the station broke through the police cordon and surrounded Mr MacDonald, who shook hands with all in reach.

After his arrival he said: "I am going away content and convinced that in the more congenial atmosphere there will be satisfactory results from my conferences with President Hoover.”

At the station at Washington Miss Ishbel MacDonald received numerous baskets of flowers.

A later message states that Mr MacDonald had arrived in New York for three days’ visit. Coinciding with the departure of Mr MacDonald for Philadelphia this morning the United States Government formally accepted Britain’s invitation to participate in the five-Power Naval Conference.—Australian Press Association. JOINT STATEMENT OBJECT OF THE CONVERSATIONS. DOUBLE PURPOSE IN VIEW. Rugby, October 10. The tone of the Hoover-MacDonald statement indicates that a propitious atmosphere has been created for the future consideration of technical problems, the solution of which will materially advance the cause of disarmament. The statement says that they had been guided by the double hope of settling their own differences on naval matters and so establishing unclouded goodwill, candour and confidence, and also of contributing something to the solution of the problem of peace in which all the other nations are interested, and which calls for their cooperation. . Both their Governments resolve to accept the Peace Pact, not only as a declaration of good intentions, but as a positive obligation to direct their policies in accordance with the pledge on the part of each Government. In the promotion of world peace one would never consent to become entangled in European diplomacy and the other is resolved to pursue a policy of active co-operation with its European neighbours, but each will direct its thoughts and influence towards securing and maintaining the peace of the world. The statement mentions that the other naval Powers have been kept informed of the progress of the Anglo-American conversations and recognizes that their co-opera-tion is essential to an agreement on naval armaments. The conversations with the other Powers concerned would be continued to remove difficulties before the formal negotiations begin. The statement adds: “In view of the security afforded by the Peace Pact we have been able to end, we trust for ever, all competitive building between ourselves with the risk of war and the waste of public money involved by agreeing to a parity of our fleets category by category.” Commenting on the statement, The Times says that a document jointly signed by an American President and a British Prime Minister is itself a contribution to history, the significance of which needs no understanding, and adds: “It is no catalogue of detailed conclusions but a hopeful preface to a more intensive study of international relations in which disarmament will be linked with a fundamental resurvey of the functions of the fleets in the future and of conceptions of security that should properly determine them. No better achievement could have been demanded from these memorable meetings.”—British Official Wireless. I VALUABLE RESULTS OPINION IN GERMANY. _. Berlin, October 10. The Press is giving close attention to the MacDonald-Hoover conversations, and is of the opinion that they have reached most valuable results. Political circles are most anxious for the success of the five-Power Conference as a prelude to land disarmament, failing which there will be sure to be a demand for permission to increase the German army.—• Australian Press Association. HALIFAX NAVAL BASE ' PROPOSED DEMILITARIZATION. (Rec. 7 p.m.) Ottawa, October 8. Canadian officials received with interest the news by Washington despatches of Mr Ramsay MacDonald's visit to Canada to discuss with the Government the demilitarizing of the naval base at Halifax. It is emphasized here that the Imperial Government is without any authority in the matter as Canadian naval and military activities and all naval property once under Imperial jurisdiction have now passed into Canada’s hands, and Halifax has been under Canada’s complete control since 1906. Officials declined to comment whether demilit arization will constitute a feature of the projected London Conference.—Australian Press Association—United Service. SUCCESS OF MISSION CONGRATULATIONS FROM NEW ZEALAND. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, October 11. The Wellington branch of the English Speaking Union has despatched the following cable message to the Right Hon. Ramsay MacDonald, Prime Minister of Great Britain, conveying congratulations upon the success of his mission to the United States of America; "English Speaking

Union offers enthusiastic felicitations on beneficient influence of your visit to President of United States strengthening the ties of the English speaking democracies and accelerating the progress of world peace. Leigh Hunt, chairman.” Congratulations have also gone forward to the President of the United States of America, the British Ambassador at Washington having been asked to transmit the following message to President Hoover: “English Speaking Union warmly appreciates the friendly atmosphere and rejoices in the concord of your historic collaboration with British Prime Minister, further cementing the ties of the English .speaking peoples and tending to promote universal peace.— Leigh Hunt, chairman.”