No Confidence

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 84, 8 April 1936, Page 7

No Confidence

MOTION IN COMMONS FOREIGN POLICY DISCUSSED [ British Official Wireless. ] Received April 7, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, April 6. Foreign affairs were debated in the House uf Commons this evening, along with other matters, on the Prime Minister’s motion of proceduic arising out of the defeat of the Government last Wednesday on the question of equal pay for men and women iu the Civil •Service. A question of confidence has been posed to secure reversal uf the House uf Commons’ previous decision, and the Leader of the Opposition (Mr C. R. Attlee) took occasion to attack the Government’s policy both at home and abroad. He contended that the menace uf war has gruwn through years of inept leadership of the Government, allowing the initiative tJ pass ±lOlll the great Western democracies into the hands of dictators. He argued that for resistance to aggression the Locarno Treaty wa-s too narrow a basis. The whole strength of the League should be organised for the preservation of law and order. •Sir Archibald Sinclair, for the Liberals, and Mr Winston Churchiil look up Mr Attlee’s 'criticism of the Government ’s policy in the Italo-Abys-sinia.ll dispute, and Sir Aichibald spoke in favour 01 more resolute action on behalf uf the victim of aggression, Mr Churchill thought that the Government’s policy had fallen between two stools, and managed to secure the disadvantages of alienating Italy and encouraging Germany to i'degal action without the advantages of helping any member or vindicating the League. The lesson of this melancholy chapter was that they should not intervene in such matters unless they were In earnest and were prepared to carry their intervention to all necessary lengths. Air Churchill also raised the question of colonies and German rearmament, and spoke of the effects in eastern and south-eastern Europe which would follow reformation by Germany of its western frontier. The House carried a vote of confidence in the Government by 361 votes to J 45.