LABOUR'S POLICY

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1924, Page 5

LABOUR'S POLICY

keeuhal of preference. WAR HELP FORGOTTEN. DOMINIONS NEGLECTED. MORE SMILES FOR RUSSIA, Un -fsleiraph—Press Axon.—Copyritae. Received Sept. 26, 7.20 pjn. London, Sept. 26. Lord BoMour, Sir Robert Horne and M*. Winaton Churchill were present on the same platform at a meeting of the official Conservative Party under the auspices of the Edinburgh branch. Mr. Churchill, in a fighting speech, predicted a general election in a few moatiM, possibly in a few weeks. Referring to the Irish situation, he said he was astonished at the (Free State leader* insisting that an Imperial commi—mner by his casting vote should demarcate the boundary, which would constitute the real foreign frontier, making an unbridgeable gulf between Ulster and the South Mr. Churchill trusted that wiser counsels would prevail and that a settlement would be reached between Irishmen themselves, which would allow hatreds to subside and common interests to grow without marring for many generations the hopes the signatories ot the treaty had in view. Mr. Churchill delivered a speech strongly Imperial in tone. Alluding to preference Mr. Churchill recalled that at the height of the war the leading statesmen of the Dominions sat in conference with the British Cabinet,* in which Conservatives, Liberals and Labour were represented, and a resolution was passed unanimously affirming the principle of preferential duties with the Empire wherever possible. Now it was aggressively repudiated by the Socialist Government. ‘•The war is over and we no longer need half a million Canadians, Australian*, New Zealanders and South African* to hold the line in France,” he added, ‘'but ft is unworthy of a great country to recede from an undertaking given to faithful and valiant friends.” Regarding Singapore, the Socialist Government made it impossible for the British navy to enter the Pacific and consequently afford the slightest assistance to Australia and New Zealand, however terrible their need. Australia and New Zealand had been told, in effect, that they must shift for themselves, yet the Socialists would gladly hawk the British navy round Europe to be the drudge of an international organisation and fight every quarrel but its own. He contrasted the Government’s attitude towards the Dominions with their proposal to subsidise Russia —one of the worst tyrannies in the world. Those who deserted us in war received smiles, compliment*, caresses and cash, and on the contrary, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, who sent thousands of unflinching fighters, got nothing but frigid repulsion and the cold stones of indifference, aversion and neglect (cheers). The Conservative leaders had definitely announced that the tariff was excluded from their platform at the next election and had stated again and again that they wonk! not tax staple foods. It was absurd for the Liberate to continue the fiscal controversy.