BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1930, Page 14

BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

QUESTIONS IN THE COMMONS. RELATIONS WITH THE SOVIET. British Wirelece. Rugby, April 29. Parliament re-assembled this morning after the Easter holidays. A number of questions were on the order, paper regarding important matter;, at issue.

The Prime Minister was asked whether he could now make any further statement in connection with the present position of disarmament arising from the naval conference, and whether any further negotiations had taken place with the object of concluding a five-Power agreement. Mr. MacDonald replied: “Regarding the first part of the question I can say nothing useful within the necessarily restricted limits of the question; and the answer as regards the second part is in the negative.” Questioned about the Anglo-Russian negotiations Mr. A. Henderson said that a temporary commercial agreement between the British and Soviet Governments was signed on April 16. Negotiations were at present proceeding for the conclusion of a temporary agreement for the regulation of certain fishery questions. Negotiations would also probably be begun shortly for the conclusion of a definite treaty of commerce and navigation, to replace the tempor- I ary agreement already signed. . The proposals of the British Government for a formal convention regarding the application of the treaties concluded with the former Imperial Russian Government had also been communicated to the Soviet Government. Negotiations regarding debt claims and counterclaims, both inter-Governniental and private, were also being pursued. The Secretary for India was asked by Mr. Baldwin, Conservative leader, whether he could make a statement regarding the position in India. He replied that in respect of the day to day developments of the civil disobeyance campaign he could add little to the full and on the whole accurate reports which had appeared in the Press. On April 27 the Governor-General promulgated an emergency measure ordinance re-enacting, with some modifications, the Press Act of 1919, which was repealed in 1922. He concurred with this action. He feared that he could make at present no further statements regarding the situation, which was engaging the constant attention of his Majesty’s Government and the Government of India.