THE VICEROY’S TELEGRAM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18432, 16 March 1922, Page 5

THE VICEROY’S TELEGRAM

LORDS DISCUSS MONTAGU INCIDENT. Received March 15, 9.55 p.m. LONDON, March 15. In the House of Lords, Lord Curzon said Mr. Montagu’s action gravely affected the position of the British delegates at the forthcoming Near East conference at Paris. At a Cabinet meeting held on March sth he suggested to Mr. Montagu that the publication of Viscount Reading’s despatch should not be authorised without reference to Cabinet and was dumbfounded to learn Mr Montagu had already authorised the same. He naturally thought ’t too late to intervene. Subsequently he wrote to Mr Montagu privately, protesting against the repetition of such an occurrence. He regretted that Mr Montagu, instead of speaking in the House of Commons, went to his constituency and traversed both their conversation and his letter in which, after deploring Mr Montagu’s action, he said if he, when viceroy, had ventured thus to publicly refer to European countries’ foreign policy, he would have been recalled. The letter went on to state that Mr Chamberlain agreed it was intolerable that a subordinate Government iike that of India should seek to dictate the lines it thought Britain ought to follow as regards Thrace and Smyrna. Earl Crewe agreed Mr Montagu had broken Cabinet proprieties, the effect of which on Europe and India was a most important consideration. The opinions of the Government of India wer e well known. Therefore he thought the publication not likely to affect the Near East Conference.