NO ALTERNATIVE

Southland Times, Issue 22768, 19 December 1935, Page 5

NO ALTERNATIVE

PEACE PROPOSALS BRITAIN’S APPROVAL DISCUSSIONS IN PARIS WARNING FROM ITALY (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) London, December 18. The impression stills prevails that Sir Samuel Hoare's speech in the House of Commons to-morrow will largely follow the lines of M. Laval’s. Also, according to well-informed circles, Sir Samuel Hoare will certainly not be contrite. He will refer to M. Laval confronting him with a warning from Signor Cerrutti that oil sanctions would drive Signor Mussolini into “mad dog - ’ action, while France would be unable to mobilize her navy under a fortnight. Sir Samuel Hoare may even indicate that an Italian attack on the fleet was imminent owing to the pressure of the existing sanctions. Nevertheless the Government will not ask the House to endorse all the details of the plan, although Mr Baldwin insists on making the issue one of confidence. Both the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail anticipate a lively debate when Cabinet re-examines the manner of conducting the defence of the plan, but senior Ministers do not doubt that Mr Baldwin will be able to convince his colleagues that no alternative was possible, or even expedient. The Parliamentary correspondent of The Times says that if the vote tomorrow is taken on a direct negative to the Labour motion, many supporters of the Government will abstain. Members prefer voting for an amendment such as that tabled by the group headed by Brigadier-General E. L. Spears, pronouncing the proposals as not acceptable and urging a resumption of the policy the country endorsed at the general election, which would be heavily supported. Early Statement at Geneva. Mr R. A. Eden at Geneva will make an early statement regarding the British position, indicating that there is no intention that the proposals should be imposed on the League. If they are rejected the Council must take the next step as Britain is not anxious to make another effort without more definite indications of the lines of settlement acceptable to the League. Meanwhile, it is assumed that the next step will be an extension of economic pressure on Italy in which Britain is still prepared to share collective action. Many members of the House of Commons feel that Sir Samuel Hoare cannot remain at the Foreign Office if the plan is defeated at Geneva. Nevertheless his colleagues do not desire his resignation. It is generally recognized that he must be sole judge of his own position. Plain Declaration Wanted. The Times, in a leading article, asks how could Sil’ Samuel Hoare have thought the proposals would fulfil his own canon of being acceptable to Italy, Abyssinia and the League? Why did Cabinet consider that it must either endorse the proposals or repudiate Sir Samuel Hoare? The only answer which will secure a vote of confidence is a plain declaration that the proposals are not panicky or a reversal of policy, but simply a report to the League of an effort to ascertain the terms, however unsatisfactory, on which negotiations can be begun, and are not the British ideas of what is just and practicable, also, that the Government intends to collectively resist aggression.

GROWING INTEREST HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE. MINISTERIAL CONVERSATIONS. (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, December 17. Shortly after his return home yesterday Sir Samuel Hoare was visited by Mr R. A. Eden, who gave the Foreign Secretary an account of the reception in Geneva of the Paris plan. Later the Prime Minister called and had a conversation with Sir Samuel Hoare. These talks followed a series of Ministerial conversations at No. 10 Downing Street during the day at which the newspapers state, a general outline of the statement the Prime Minister will make in the House of Commons was discussed. The Paris plan continues to be the subject of anxious discussion in the Parliamentary lobbies, where growing interest is displayed in Thursday’s debate. Replies from Italy and Abyssinia to the Paris peace proposals have not yet been made. No reply is expected from Rome until after the meeting of the Fascist Grand Council to-morrow night. A semiofficial statement in Rome indicates that this meeting will be followed by a request for explanations on certain points and probably a discussion of the objections to other proposals contained in the Paris plan. Major C. R. Attlee, Leader of the Labour Opposition, will move the Labour motion in the House of Commons on Thursday and Dr. Hugh Dalton will wind up for the Opposition. The Prime Minister will speak for the Government. Lord Davies, who had a motion down for debate in the House of Lords tomorrow, has agreed to postpone the discussion till Thursday so that the subject will be debated simultaneously in both Houses. To-day the Imperial Policy Party Group, which includes the right wing Conservative members who have more than once expressed misgivings regarding the League action in connection with the Abyssinian question, issued a statement conveying to the Prime Minister its support of the Government in pursuance of any policy which tends to depart from the use of coercive measures in settlement of the dispute and directs British foreign policy towards the encouragement of conciliatory conversations between the parties concerned. The group stands firmly on the ground that British foreign policy should be based on Imperial interests. A preliminary discussion ensued, in the course of which the various dele-

gations requested a clarification of the United Kingdom proposal. GRAVE ISSUE PORTFOLIOS IN THE BALANCE. (United Press Assn—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) London, December 17. The Sun-Herald service says that not since 1914 has Parliament faced such a grave debate as on Thursday, nor an issue on which so much depends. Mr Baldwin’s and Sir Samuel Hoare’s portfolios are in the balance, and Europe’s and the League’s future may be influenced by the course of the debate. The Sun-Herald Service understands that Sir Samuel Hoare will open the debate and immediately seek the confidence of the House in the Government and himself. In other words, he will let the House decide whether he should resign. Mr Baldwin will uphold Sir Samuel Hoare, even to the extent of offering his own resignation. LABOUR PARTY CENSURE MOTION TABLED. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) London, December 17. Labour tabled a censure motion to be moved on Thursday declaring that the peace terms constitute a reward for the aggressor, destroy collective security and conflict with the expressed will of the country in support of the League to which Britain is in honour pledged. The motion asks the House to demand that the terms be immediately repudiated. ITALY’S ATTITUDE LOOKING A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) London, December 17. While M. Laval was facing an angry Chamber, the British Cabinet spent the morning deliberating how best to meet the House of Commons. Sir Samuel Hoare was not present as his doctors advised him not to leave home before the week-end; consequently it is unlikely that he or Mr Eden will participato in the debate although it immediately concerns them. The most ironical feature of the situation is that the louder the clamour against the proposals throughout the world, the more critically Italy looks a gift horse in the mouth. It is understood that Signer Cerrutti informed M. Laval yesterday that Italy demanded Aksum and control of Assab, leaving Abyssinia only port rights. All foreign concessions must be annulled in the Italian colonization region in South Abyssinia where Italy must have full police control.

FRENCH EXPORTS HEAVY PURCHASES BY ITALY. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) Paris, December 17. How greatly French interests are bound up in the non-extension of sanctions is revealed in the official trade figures for November, showing that France exported 500,000 gallons .more petrol to Italy in November than in the whole of the preceding ten months. Seventy per cent, of French exports of lubricating oil went to Italy and scrap iron exports were a record. Italy also took the bulk of French exports of glycerine, turpentine, manganese and other war materials.