MacDonald and Dawes

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 691, 17 June 1929, Page 9

MacDonald and Dawes

DISARMAMENT DISCUSSED “Satisfactory Conversation” MEETING IN HISTORIC MANSION WITH the week-end conversation between Mr. ltamsay MacDonald, the British Prime Minister, and General (\ G. Dawes, United States Ambassador to Britain, the work of bringing about a disarmament agreement has satisfactorily commenced. .Mr. MacDonald issued a communique after the conversations and handed his own draft of it—“a momentous, history-making document” —to General Dawes as a souvenir. ( United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United Service)

Reed. 9.5 a.m. LONDON, Sunday. The Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald’s, official communique after his conversation with General C. G. Dawes, the United States Ambassador, states: “We have had a conversation regarding the present position of the question of disarmament between the United States and Great Britain. It has been informal, and in general most satisfactory. General Dawes proposes to refer to the subject at the Pilgrims’ Dinner on June 18. I shall do the same at the same time at Lossiemouth. It. is intended to be the beginning of I negotiations. We both wish to make it clear that other naval Powers are to co-operate in these negotiations, upon the successful consummation of which the fate of the world depends.” All eyes were on Forres, where General Dawes had luncheon with Mr. MacDonald in the historic mansion Logie House. The residence belongs to Sir Alexander Grant, the old friend and admirer of Mr. MacDonald, who gave him a motor-car in 1924. EX-CHANCELLOR'S OPINION The ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Winston Churchill, referred in the course of a speech to the interview between the Prime Minister, Mr. MacDonald, and General Dawes. He said he welcomed the recovery of his full personal freedom of speech on the question of the naval relations between Britain and the United States. At Washington in 1921 Britain sincerely and irrevocably abandoned tile supremacy of the sea, which she had enjoyed without abuse for a century, and accepted equality with America. But that implied a special regard for the entirely different circumstances of this crowded island —which could be starved in a few weeks —and the great continent on which the people of the United States dwelt so safely .and so prosperously. It would not be a. fair interpretation of “equal powers on the sea” to have a mere numerical measure on the two fleets, each a replica of the other. That would not give Britain equality, but under the guise of equality she would be at an absolute and flnal inferiority.

Any naval agreement must be based on a tolerant, good-hearted spirit toward naval affairs on both sides of the Atlantic. If naval equality led to a jealous and suspicious scrutiny of every ship, gun, and armour-plate, it would be better to remain without an agreement, and for each country to go its own way, acting sensibly and in a neighbourly fashion, but free and unfettered. DAWES RECEIVED BY KING The American Ambassador, accompanied by Mr. Arthur Henderson, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, went to Windsor on Saturday. He was driven to the castle in a. picturesque landau, without riders. General Dawes was received in the audience chamber by his Majesty, with whom he had a long chat, and whose hand he kissed on his appointment. The ambassador afterwards said he was delighted that the King

looked so well. General Dawes left for Scotland by tbe evening train. It is expected that General Dawes will publicly announce the invitation to Mr. MacDonald for a visit to America on Tuesday. As General Dawes left Forres late in the afternoon, Mr. MacDonald handed him his own draft communique as a souvenor—“a momentous, historymaking document." HISTORIC MANSION LOGIE HOUSE. WHERE THE STATESMEN MET MEMORIES OF PRINCE CHARLIE British Official Wireless Reed. 11 a.m. RUGBY, Sunday. A large crowd assembled at the Forres station early this afternoon to witness the meeting between the Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, and the United States Ambassador, General G. C. Dawes. General Dawes travelled through the night from London, and on the arrival of the train Mr. MacDonald boarded the ambassador’s coach, and cordially greeted his visitor. After conversing for some time, they left the train to be welcomed formally by the local town council. General Dawes and Mr. MacDonald, after returning thanks, motored to Logie House, where Mr. MacDonald's life-long friend, Sir Alexander Grant, and Lady Grant, awaited them. Logie House is a beautifully-situ-ated baronial mansion with many historical associations, its famous visitors having included ‘‘Bonnie Prince Charlie,” who lodged there on the eve of the Battle of Culloden. The conversations began immediately after lunch, and were of an informal character, covering various aspects of Anglo-American relations. It is understood that General Dawes extended a warm invitation to Mr. MacDonald, on behalf of President Hoover, to visit the United States later in the year.