“Not Bluffing!”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 739, 12 August 1929, Page 9

“Not Bluffing!”

SNOWDEN IN GRIM EARNEST Better Spirit at the Hague BUT BIG BARRIERS STILL REMAIN ( United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright > (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United Service) Reed. 10 a.m. LONDON, Sunday. REPORTS from The Hague agree that Sunday’s exchange of views between the representatives of Italy, Belgium, France, Japan, Germany and Great Britain, has gone far to restore harmony among the reparation conference delegates, and that the atmosphere is better. Nevertheless, it is considered that fundamental difficulties remain, and that a solution of the. crisis is still uncertain. The conference meets on Monday to continue the discussion.

Mr. Philip Snowden has given the conference till Monday to make up its mind whether it will consider his points or not. Mr. Snowden has put Britain’s point of view. plainly and firmly, and he refuses to consent to the matter being shelved. The British Chancellor laid stress on the fact that M. Poincare, exPremier of France, promised Mr. Winston Churchill that there should be no interference with the Spa percentages. In tlie course of an interview by a representative of the Central News Agency at midnight on Saturday, Mr. Snowden said: “If the conference breaks down the responsibility will not be on the shoulders of Britain. M. Briand says it is a case of five against one. That does not necessarily mean that the five are right and the one wrong. It often happens that the right is on the side of a minority.” Asked his opinion of the immediate prospects Mr. Snowden said: “The situation is not grave from my point of view, but I shall be prepared to depart at any time if there is no reason to stay.” When Mr, Snowden was told that the French believed he was bluffing he said: “If they are under that illusion they had better wait and see.” Mrs. Snowden interposed: “They do not know Yorkshiremen.” The British newspapers, headed by “The Times,” the “Daily Telegraph” and “The Observer,” are practically solidly behind Mr. Snowden. PLEASED WITH SNOWDEN MACDONALD TELEGRAPHS CONGRATULATIONS FIGHTING CHANCELLOR (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) Reed. 9 a.m. THE HAGUE, Sunday. The Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, telegraphed to Mr. Snowden, congratulating him on his stand and heartily supporting his views. The Prime Minister’s intervention caused surprise to the non-British delegations. At Saturday morning’s meeting of the Finance Committee Mr. Snowden remarked: “I cannot longer await a decision. I do not want to remain here for the rest of my life.” When M. Cheron endeavoured to prove that Britain would benefit more by the Young plan than she had done formerly, Mr. Snowden emphatically refused to accept a single one of M. Cheron’s arguments. He challenged the accuracy of his figures which, he declared, were capable of an entirely different interpretation. “It is time my three points were discussed,” said Mr. Snowden. “It is not true to assert that the British experts in the drawing up of the Young plan were instructed by the British Treasury.” The committee adjourned until Monday, when Mr. Snowden’s motion for a sub committee to examine his three points will be debated. The Belgian delegates are trying to save the situation by proposals for transferring a final decision to Germany. They are suggesting that Germany shall pay sufficient cash in lieu of payments in kind to satisfy Mr. Snowden and that the countries which receive payments in kind shall be forbidden to re-export those goods. DELIVERIES IN KIND WAY OF DIFFICULTY' IS POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS MAY BE MET British Official Wireless Reed. 11 a.m. RUGBY, Sunday. The situation arising out of Mr. Snowden’s speech at The Hague Conference on Reparations was discussed yesterday by the French, Belgian, Italian and Japanese delegates outside the conference. According to Press correspondents, one result of the discussions . was apparently an agreement that Mr. Snowden’s objections regarding deliveries in kind might be met. What is regarded as the first real step toward a continuation of the financial side of the conference was made when the Finance Committee met this morning. Replying to a speech by Mr. W. Graham, President of the British Board of Trade, who explained the British viewpoint regarding deliveries in kind, M. Henri Cheron, French Finance Minister, said this matter was open to discussion, and indicated that a way out of the difficulties was possible. On the other two points of Mr. Snowden’s objections, namely, reduction of the British percentage of reparations receipts, and the assignment of an unduly large proportion of unconditional payments to France, the result of yesterday’s discussions is not known. On the political side of the conference, progress has been made. The Political Committee, yesterday resuming discussion on the question of evacuation of the Rhineland, accepted in principle the setting-up of a technical sub-committee to work out the details of the evacuation. The actual composition and terms

of reference of the committee were left until Monday. MACDONALD’S MOVEMENTS The Prime Minister, Mr. MacDonald, went by airplane on Saturday from Lossiemouth to Edinburgh, and later returned by plane to his home. It is learned that while Mr. MacDonald was in Edinburgh he had a conference with Mr. Montagu Norman, Governor of the Bank of England, and Mr. Lament, of the banking house of J. P. Morgan and Company. The “Daily News” says it understands Mr. MacDonald received urgent State papers before he chartered the airplane for the flight to Edinburgh. It was assumed that his ultimate destination will be The Hague. On the other hand, it was announced that the Prime Minister never intended to fly to The Hague to intervene in the Reparation Conference deadlock. “VORACITY, HYPOCRISY” ITALIAN JOURNAL ATTACKS BRITAIN FRENCH ALSO INDIGNANT (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) LONDON, Saturday. The French Press now realises that Mr. Snowden is not bluffing. It professes the greatest indignation at his plain language, but not a single newspaper attempts to refute his arguments. An article is published iu the Rome paper “L’lmpero under heavy black headlines; “Enough of Britain’s Insatiable Voracity and Hypocrisy.” The article occupies a column of large type. Inter alia, it says: “Italy has no mines, ships, colonial mandates, or priority payments. Can the same be said of Britain?” The former British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Winston Churchill, in an interview at Quebec, would not comment to any extent upon the attitude of Mr. Snowden toward the Young plan of reparation. However, he made it clear that Mr. Snowden’s stand had his own support. Mr. Churchill said the apportionment under the Spa agreement had been satisfactory, but those now projected were totally inadequate.