POLICIES DIFFERED

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1929, Page 9

POLICIES DIFFERED

LORD LLOYD RESIGNS EGYPT’S HIGH COMMISSIONER SENSATION IN COMMONS DEMAND FOR INFORMATION By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian Press Association. Received July 25, 5.5 p.m. London, July 24. Air. A. Henderson, Secretary for Foreign. Affairs, announced in the House of Commons that Lord Lloyd had resigned the position of High Commissioner in Egypt. Ho had previously written Lord Lloyd a letter based on his reading of Lord Lloyd’s attitude towards the policy of the late Government. Mr. Churchill: “Was the resignation extorted 2” Mr. Henderson: “My telegram was of such a nature as to be accepted As an invitation to terminate his position.” The Minister added that he was prepared to meet a debate on the matter on Friday. As the papers in connection therewith were associated witli the previous Government he had discussed laying them on the table with Lord Lloyd, who raised no objection, but agreed with the view that if the papers went far hack it would not be in the interests of Anglo-Egyptian relations to disclose them.

Mr. Churchill: Will you make a statement on Friday .at the beginning of the debate?” Ministerialist cites of “Sit down." Mr. Churchill; I will stand here an hour to get an answer upon a grave and important issue. -Air. Henderson: I will meet those ■who open the debate in their search for information. The Speaker ruled out a motion for an immediate adjournment of the ■House.

CORRESPONDENCE RELEASED. A later message states that in response to a request from Lord Lloyd the correspondence leading up to his resignation was released. Lord Lloyd’s letter to Mr. Henderson states: “Since my return to Egypt, thinking over my recent conversation with you on the situation caused by the advent of a new Government in England, and the policy which I understand will be pursued in regard to Egyptian affairs, I had every hope and l desire to serve the new administration, but have reluctantly reached the conclusion that my views are not likely to be in sufficient harmony with yours to enable mo conscientiously to discharge my duties. I should be grateful “if you would submit my resignation to his Majesty.” Mr. Henderson’s reply was: “I have informed his Majesty’s Government of your resignation. The Government fully recognises the sincerity of the motives which led you to place your resignation in its hands, and is accepting it with regret. The Government desires me to express appreciation oi your eminent ■service in high and responsible positions in Egypt and elsewhere." The Daily Chronicle’s political eorrespondent states that Mr. • Baldwin’s Cabinet was seriously divided over Egypt. Sir Austen Chamberlain endeavoured to pursue a policy too liberal to please Lord Lloyd, who, however, was backed up by Mr. Winston Churchill. Lord Lloyd’s request for warships whenever a situation requiring statesmanship developed did not commend it-

self to Sir Austen Chamberlain. The Morning Post says: “There weie occasions when Lord Lloyd differed from the late Chief Secretary of State, but such differences being discussed and settled Lord Lloyd loyally carried out the adopted policy. He thus earned and enjoyed the trust and support of the late administration. We have no hesitation in saying the immediate cause of his disgraceful treatment lies in the enmity and intrigues of extremists in Egypt working, with the left wing of the Labour Party here. It also means that the British Government intends to work for the restoration of the socalled Parliamentary rule which brought such confusion and disorder into Egyptian affairs.” STRAINED RELATIONS. The Times says: “It is clear that Lord Lloyd's relations with the Foreign Office had been strained long before Sir Austen Chamberlain left it, and Mr. Henderson has done little more than take up his predecessor’s legacy. Lord Lloyd’s natural characteristics are those of an active administrator; not those of a diplomat.” A message from Cairo states that Europeans in that city received the news of Lord Lloyd's resignation with alarm and consternation, but the Nationalists welcome it as heralding an easier British policy towards Egypt. Though the lobbies are excited over Lord Lloyd’s resignation it is understood it does not come as a complete surprise to those who were well informed on the subject, as there had been rumours for some time that Lord Lloyd had not been seeing eye to eye with Whitehall. It is understood the resignation is not the result of a disagreement with the new Government on a specific point, but follows upon the perusal of correspondence between Lord Lloyd and the Conservative Government. Mr. Henderson, under the apprehension that Lord Lloyd would be unable to co-operate in the Government’s Egyptian policy, communicated with Lord Lloyd early in the month, when he was in Egypt, whereupon ho returned to London and resigned as the most amicable way out of tlie difficulty. Diplomatic circles agree that Lord Lloyd made no secret of his lack of sympathy with the 1922 policy by which subject to certain reservations, Egypt would be declared to be a sovereign and independent State, a policy that _ has been endorsed by successive British Governments.