MONTAGU’S BLUNDER.

Wairarapa Age, 16 March 1922, Page 5

MONTAGU’S BLUNDER.

DISCUSSED IN LORDS. CABINET PROPRIETIES BROKEN. (Press Association—Copyright.) (Received 8.36 p.m.) London March 14.—1 n the House of Lords. Earl Curzon said that Mr Mon tagu’s action had gravely affected the position of the British delegates at the forthcoming Near East conference at Paris. At-a Cabinet meeting held oc March 5 he suggested to Mr Montagu that the publication of Lord Reading’s despatch should not be authorised without reference to Cabinet, and waa dumfounded to learn that Montagu had already authorsed it. He naturally thought it too Jate to intervene. Subsequently he wrote to Mr Montagu privately, protesting against a repetiton of such an occurrence. He regretted that Mr Montagu, instead of speaking in the Commons, went to his constituency and traversed both their conversation and his letter, in whieh, after deploring Mr Montagu’s action, he said that if he, when Viceroy, had ventured thus to publicly refer to Furopcan countries’ foreign policy he would have been recalled. The letter went on to state that Mr Chamberlain agreed that it was intolerable that a subordinate Government like that of India should seek to dictate the lines it thought Britain ought to follow as regards Thrace and Smyrna. Earl Crewe agreed that Mr Montagu had broken Cabinet proprieties, the effect of which on Europe and Indm was a most important consideration. The opnions of the Government of India were well ‘known, and therefore ho thought publication was not likely to affect the Near East conference.—(Aand N.Z.)