DOMINIONS AND EGYPT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 814, 7 November 1929, Page 9

DOMINIONS AND EGYPT

SHARP QUESTIONS ASKED IN COMMONS “SECRET DIPLOMACY” HINT Reed. 12.55 p.m. LONDON, Wed. Asked in the House of Commons whether he proposed to make a statement on the subject of the Australian and New Zealand Governments’ views regarding the proposed Egyptian treaty, Mr. Arthur Ponsonby, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Dominions, said the Government shared its predecessor’s view that a frank and confidential exchange of information and of views between the various Governments of the Empire was an essential feature for the conduct of a foreign policy.

This would be seriously hampered, he said, if the correspondence was likely eventually to be published, therefore he could not make a statement.

Major L. Hore-Belisha (Conservative) : Is it not important to know the Dominions’ views on these matters? Since when have you been converted to the principle of secret diplomacy? Captain R. Anthony Eden (Conservative) : Why was not this adhered to in connection, with Lord Lloyd’s correspondence?

Mr. Ponsonby: Egypt is not a Dominion.

Commander C., Bellairs (Conservative) : Was not the Singapore correspondence published? There was no answer.

Mr. Ponsonby, answering further questions, took a. similar objection to tabling the Dominions’ views on the resumption of relationship with Russia.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, stated that the Government could not depart from the decision of its predecessors to withhold correspondence with the Dominions about preference and kindred matters. There could not be a free expression of views if there was a possibility of the correspondence eventually being published.