NEW PARLIAMENT OPENED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXL, Issue 20283, 5 December 1935, Page 9

NEW PARLIAMENT OPENED

KING’S SPEECH BY PROXY OUTLINE OF PROGRESS POLICY CONCERN IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS British Official Wireless (Received December 4, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, December 3. The new Parliament was opened today in the absence of his Majesty, and the King’s Speech was read on his behalf by the Lord Chancellor in the House of Lords. Fifty Peeresses in deep mourning attended the opening of Parliament, which was robbed of its customary colour and pageantry. Speech From the Throne. The opening passages of the speech was as follows: “My relations with foreign Powers continue to be friendly. My Government's foreign policy will, as heretofore, be based on firm support of the League of Nations. It will remain prepared to fulfil, in co-operation with the other members of the League, the obligations of the Covenant. In particular, they are determined to use a all times the full weight of their influence for the preservation of peace. In pursuance of these obligations. my Government felt compelled to adopt, in co-operation with some fifty other States and members of the League, certain measures of an economic and financial nature in regard to Italy. At the same time they will continue to exert their influence in favour of peace acceptable to the three parties in the dispute, namely, Italy, Ethiopia and the League of Nations. "My Government has issued invitations to the governments of other countries, which were parties to the Washington and London Naval Treaties to attend a gonference in London this month, with a view to the conclusion of a new international treaty for the limitation of naval armament. I have learned with satisfaction that all the invitations to this conference have been accepted, and I trust that Its labours will be crowned with success." Domestic Policy Measures. Addressing members of the House of Commons, the Speech proceeded: “The fulfilment of our international obligations under the Covenant, no less than the adequate safeguarding of my Empire, makes it urgently necessary that deficiencies in my defence forces should be made good. My Ministers will, in due course, lay before you their proposals, which will be limited to the minimum required for these two purposes.” Domestic matters were then dealt with, and the speech noted that the policy of the Ministers, while continu-. lng to foster a general recovery of trade, industry and agriculture, would pay special regard to those areas in which the burden of unemployment was greatest, and to the development Of any measures likely to be advantageous to them. It added that the problem of securing improved conditions in the coal-mining industry was receiving the anxious consideration of Ministers, and active steps in contemplation to this end included proposals for the co-ordination of the selling arrangements of the coal industry, the unification of coal royalties, and a review of the provisions for the safety of the workers in the mines in the light of modern scientific knowledge. Other measures adumbrated include proposals for making improved arrangements for assistance to the unemployed, and for the insurance of agricultural workers against unemployment; the introduction of a Bill to authorise a guarantee by the State of a loan to be raised for the purpose of enabling railway companies to carry out special developments; a measure for promoting the further development of civil air communications, both in this country and throughout the Empire; and proposals for the substantial development of the educational services of the country and for the raising of the school age. Debate On Speech The debate was commenced by Mr C. R. Attlee (Leader of the Labour Party), who demanded that the House should be given a full account of the whole proceedings in the ItaloAbyssininn dispute. The Prime Minister, who followed, said he desired the fullest discussion of the very difficult foreign situation. He regretted that the Foreign Secretary was confined to his house, but hoped he would attend to-morrow or the next day, and that arrangements could be made for such a discussion. The League, indeed, was on trial, and If it could bring this terrible dispute to an end by the method it had employed, he was sure everyone in Europe who was a lover of peace, would be grateful and thankful. If on the other hand any statesman brought this country into war by neglect of anything that he could, with honour do, in conjunction with other members of the League, his name would very properly be held in execration. “It is quite true that the sanctity of treaties must be upheld, but that did not mean that any given treaty was incapable of amendment, or that it stood in its present form for all time. The modification of a treaty is one thing; repudiation is another. It is unilateral repudiation that means the rule of force, and not modification by agreement—it is the tearing up of a treaty. That, modem Europe is deter-

mined, if it can, to prevent. Events this year have brought that out clearly, because there has been declared as aggressor a country with whom all countries in Europe are on terms of friendship. Notwithstanding that friendship all those nations have agreed to participate in economic sanctions, which have been employed so far, and are considering the further use of those sanctions in future. It has sometimes been said that this country has been putting itself too much into the foreground. This country has to play its part, and play its part with other countries. A country with its influence had to shoulder its responsibilities, and when the time came it had to speak out,” In the House of Lords In the House of Lords, young Lord Birkenhead moved the Address. Facially he resembles his father, but is slim and not so tall. He spoke with some hesitation. Lord Snell, the Leader of the Opposition, said the Labour Party had less than a dozen effective members in the House of Lords, though It represented 8,000,000 votes outside.