LABOUR’S FOREIGN POLICY

Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1929, Page 9

LABOUR’S FOREIGN POLICY

THE PALESTINE MANDATE RELATIONS WITH RUSSIANS AMBASSADORS EXCHANGE British Official Wireless. Rugby, Oct. 2. In his speech on foreign affairs at the Labour conference at Brighton to-day, Mr. Arthur Henderson, Foreign Secretary, said the British Government had no intention of reconsidering, as had been suggested, the British tenure of the mandate of Palestine. . There is no question,” he continued, “of altering the position in regard to the mandate or the policy laid down by the Balfour Declaration of 1917 in favour of creating Palestine as a national home for Jews. The policy is still to protect the civil and religious rights of . all the inhabitants, irrespective of race or relation.” When the report of the commission which inquired into the recent disorders was received the Government would consider means within the terms of the mandate by which the future policy in Palestine would be directed. Referring to Russia, Mr. Henderson said he was very happy to be able to report that, as a result of the negotiations, an agreement had been reached on ‘ the procedure that will be put into operation immediately on the exchange of ambassadors between the two countries. “When the House of Commons meets it will be the business of the Government to make a report on the conversations that have taken place with Mr. Dovgalevsky, and I will be quite prepared to await the decision of the House,” he said. “We have taken a most important step and I believe that immediately ambassadors have been exchanged and full machinery has been put into operation there will be such an agreement ag will place our relationship in a satisfactory position and will bring the two countries together as they have not been for many years.” Reviewing the results achieve! at the recent Hague Conference, Mr. Henderson, after passing reference to the financial aspects of the negotiations, said he had made it known at an early stage of the negotiations that British public opinion had insisted on the withdrawal of British troops from the Rhineland. French public opinion differed somewhat from British public opinion on this matter, and M. Briand’s part was perhaps more difficult than his own. M. Briand and Dr. Stresemann worked together so often that he never doubted that agreement would be reached. The result, he was happy to say, was a combined agreement on the political issue. Immediately he had put his hand to the protocol and signed he dispatched a representative of the War Office to London to see the Minister of War. Next day he received a telegram in which instructions had been given for a move to be made immediately. The whole of the British evacuation would be completed by December 14. The Belgians hoped to have their troops moved by the middle of December, and the French hoped to have evacuated their zone completely during December.