SNOWDEN’S SPEECH

Taranaki Daily News, 31 October 1935, Page 5

SNOWDEN’S SPEECH

GOVERNMENT ATTACKED WEAK FOREIGN POLICY LIBERALS’ RADIO TALK LLOYD GEORGE UPHELD By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, October 22. Continuing the party election broadcasts, of which five have been allotted to the Nationalists, four to the Labour Party and three to the Liberals, Lord Snowden broadcast while the controversy was still raging whether Sir Herbert Samuel should have given him one of his three Liberal dates. Lord Snowden opened by saying that he spoke as an independent politician by courtesy of the Liberal leaders. He said the Government had introduced a full protectionist system within six months of taking office, though Mr. Stanley Bald'win at the election had declared that protection was not an issue. Then came the Ottawa agreements, which had a serious effect on foreign relations and confirmed the suspicion abroad that the British Imperial policy was aimed at excluding foreign countries from the markets and raw materials of the Empire. “The Tory spokesmen now tell us that other nations have a legitimate claim to expansion and access to raw materials,” he said. “Japan, Italy and Germany have long claimed this, but it has taken lawless war to awaken the Tories to the fact. The Tories advocated protection as a means of compelling foreign countries to lower tariffs against us, but the opposite has been the result.” Lord Snowden protested against the falsehood that the Labourites were responsible for the 1931 slump. He added that the Government’s domestic record was one of almost unrelieved failure and cruel complacency about the millions of unemployed. The Government was now having an- election to Aide it, and was trying to exploit the international crisis as it exploited the national crisis in 1931. MUSSOLINI ENCOURAGED. As regards the Italo-Abyssinian dispute, the lack of firmness and clarity in the early months encouraged Mussolini to believe that he might pursue his object with impunity. Mr. Baldwin’s statement that the navy was out-of-date and inefficient was inaccurate. Huge sums had been spent yearly on replacements. Lord Snowden proceeded to deal at length with unemployment, and declared that Mr. Lloyd George’s proposals would break the back of the problem in a year. It was.the duty of the electorate to get this self-satisfied Government out of office.

He urged support for the Liberal, candidate where the voter was pledged to Mr. Lloyd George’s programme, and to vote for labour where’ a Government candidate and a Labourite were opposed. Mr. Winston Churchill, speaking at Woodford, said that damage might result from Lord Snowden’s broadcast. He added that Lord Snowden had harmed his colleagues to the greatest extent in the 1931 election.

Mr. Churchill cited Germany’s expenditure of £800,000,000 annually on warlike preparations. He emphasised that Germany was ruining her finances and depriving her populace of staple foods in order to turn the nation into the most terrible fighting machine in the world’s history. He asked what awful event in view of these circumstances hung over Europe. s LABOUR ILLOGICAL. Mr. R. A. Eden, speaking at Learnington, accused the Labourites in their attitude towards armament of illogicality, and added that while Labour was supporting collective action through the League he would like to know how collective action was possible unless Britain’s defences equalled those of other great Powers with similar responsibilities. The Government must face the fact that Britain’s defence forces were unsatisfactory. This must be remedied. Proposals ii; that connection would shortly be presented to. Parliament,

Mr. Ramsay MacDonald opened his Seaham campaign to a mixed reception, the meeting terminating with hoots and cheers. He enlarged upon trade expansion under the National Government. He admitted that they could not find a remedy for unemployment in six months and urged goodwill between the colliery owners and miners.

Sir Herbert Samuel warned Nottingham hearers that if the next House were as packed with Conservatives as the last there would be no guarantee of a continuance of the new-born zeal in support of the League of Nations. Therefore. for the sake of peace and disarmament, a sufficiently large Liberal element should be returned. The only means of securing peace was through the League.