COMMONS DEBATE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21648, 8 May 1940, Page 7

COMMONS DEBATE

MAY LAST TWO DAYS

Speeches Eagerly Awaited

Norwegian Ministers

In London

United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, May 6. On the eve of his speech on the Norwegian situation, the Prime Minister (Mr Chamberlain) had consultations with the Norwegian Foreign Minister (Professor Koht) and the Norwegian Minister in London (Mr Erik Colban). Professor Koht visited the Foreign Secretary (Lord Halifax) at the Foreign Office. It is possible that during his conversation to-night Professor Koht gave Mr Chamberlain information which will be of value to the Prime Minister in the debate in the House of Commons to-morrow. The debate will begin at four o'clock, and Mr Chamberlain is expected to speak for about an hour. He will be followed by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr C. R. Attlee) and the Leader of the Liberal Party (Sir Archibald Sinclair). As the debate may last two days, it is possible that the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr Winston Churchill) will take part on Wednesday, while the Secretary of State for Air (Sir Samuel Hoare) will make a statement on the working of his department. Among those who are expected to make critical speeches are Mr L. Hore-Belisha, the former Secretary of State for War, and Mr Lloyd George.

Overhaul of Government Urged

There is little suggestion in the British newspapers that the Government was wrong to send a force to the south of Norway, but it is claimed that if the Government had realised the difficulty of the ' operations it would not have made such optimistic speeches.

“The Times” has repeated its oftspoken plea for an overhaul of the machinery of Government. To relieve Cabinet of its detail work, “The Times” suggests the appointment of deputies for the leaders. It is also suggested that the Labour Party could have representatives in the Government.

Emphasising the value of Parliamentary democracy, the “Daily Express” has a cartoon of Hitler, seated in an armchair, supported on the backs of the German people, with

Field-Marshal Goering sitting beside him. Hitler is holding a paper inscribed "German Fleet Crippled,” and is saying: “Well, Hermann, no one can make us give a full account to our people if we don’t want to.” The visit of the Norwegian Ministers to London is welcomed by the press, which attaches great value to the help which their knowledge may afford the Allied Governments, especially in view of the difficulties of communicating between the Allied and Norwegian Governments on their forces in Norway. , British Prestige Lowered Speaking at a Labour Party meeting at Cambridge to-night. Dr. Hugh Dalton expressed the view that events in Norway which had lowered British prestige abroad, had shaken confidence at Home—not in certaintly of the ulitimate Allied victory, of which he declared his renewed conviction, but in the directive organisation and personnel of the country's war effort, “Our fighting men, soldiers, sailors and airmen have done well in Norway —and they have done magnificently—but our political leaders, as so often before, have been outwitted and outpaced by our adversaries,” he declared.

The attitude of Labour leaders to the was is shown by two speeches made on Saturday. Mr Ernest Besin, of the Transport Workers’ Union, said: “We are tired of hearing how one small ship went out and tackled overwhelming odds, and how two fighters went Into combat with 10 raiding bombers.” It was all very well for the country’s men to have courage, but what he wanted was equality of weapons. Mr W. Lawther, of the Miners’ Federation, said: “We have no room for those dismal pessimists who see in every fresh phase of our struggle room for doubting the triumph of the cause we have undertaken.”

ORDER OF PROCEDURE United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph —Copyright (Received May 8, 12.10 a.m.) LONDON, May 7. Mr Chamberlain, in opening the two

days’ debate in the House of Commons to-day is expected fully to narrate the events leading up to the evacuation from Norway, and detail the Government’s reasons for the decisions affecting the campaign, leaving the service Ministers to supply the technical explanations. Mr Attlee and Sir Archibald Sinclair will follow Mr Chamberlain, and it is likely that Mr Oliver Stanley will expound the army’s difficulties, in which event Sir Samuel loare will open the debate. Mr Churchill will certainly be the last speaker, winding up the debate. There is some talk that Mr Chamberlain, who begins to speak about 3.45, is demanding a vote of confidence, but no decision has been reached on this point. Alleged Telephone Conversation Official circles London describe as fantastic reports published in to-day’s Berlin newspapers on a tapped telephone conversation between Mr Chamberlain and M. Reynaud on March 30.

The reports represent M. Reynaud as saying that General Weygand promised to be reedy for Balkan action on May 15, but owing to difficulties with the Turks, the date might be later. M. Reynaud referred to the daily high demands, and Mr Chamberlain becoming irritated, a&ked that preparations be co icluded definitely by May 15, _»nd promised to use his influence with the Turks.