COMMONWEALTH: Parliament’s Week: Dec. 29, 1924

(British Commonwealth of Nations)

Chamberlain’s Speech. Fresh from visits to Paris and Rome (TIME, Dec. 15), Foreign Secretary Austen Chamberlain told the House in a speech lasting 85 minutes how favorably the League of Nations had impressed him. With regard to Russia, Mr. Chamberlain said that there was no shadow of a doubt but that the Zinoviev letter (TIME, Dec. 1) was authentic. He did not think it was opportune at present to negotiate with Russia and he declined to discuss the matter further.

Egypt. Answering the criticism of Mr. Trevelyan, ex-Minister of Educa-tion, on Egypt, Mr. Chamberlain reiterated Britain’s solemn determination to “regard as an unfriendly act any attempt at interference in the affairs of Egypt by another power, . . . to con-sider any aggression against the territory of Egypt as an act to be repelled with all the means at her command.”

He said there was no desire on the part of His Majesty’s Government to terminate the Anglo-Egyptian condominium of the Sudan. He denied that there was anything in the Covenant of the League which either required or suggested that Britain should refer the matter to that body. He had been prepared at Rome, he said, to answer any question that a member of the Council might put to him; but no questions were asked. On the contrary, in private conversation, many foreign statesmen had congratulated him upon the British action in Egypt. “To hear a really anti-British declaration,” he challenged, “. . have to come to the British House of Commons.”

Allied Debts. The Foreign Secretary contented himself with saying that he had not discussed interallied debts, but in saying it he seized the opportunity of driving home a friendly dig at his colleague the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Winston Churchill:

“I permitted myself to recall a proverb which I begged them not to mention lest it should create a slight coolness be-tween the Chancellor of the Exchequer and myself. But, as I have mentioned it to him today, I may perhaps repeat it to the House. I said to those with whom I talked: ‘We have an English proverb: Why bark yourself when you keep a dog?’ ”

A Maiden Speech. Alfred Duff Cooper, known under the pseudonym of beautiful Lady Diana Duff Cooper’s* husband, made his first speech in the House: “If the League were to decide against us and say we must withdraw in favor of some other country, then the British people would refuse to recognize the ruling of the League; and that would be the end of the League forever.

If the League is consulted on Egypt, how could France refuse to refer to it the question of Morocco and Italy the the question of Morocco; and Italy, the get into the League of Nations the United States, which at present stands outside. But do you suppose that the United States would consent to join the League if she realized that one of the first questions to be submitted to it would be her own position in the Philippines?”

Empire Trade. Premier Stanley Baldwin made a declaration of his economic policy to the House. The main points were:

1) General protection against unfair foreign competition, owing to lower wages, longer hours or depreciated cur-rency, to any industry which can prove itself substantial and efficient.

2) General imperial preference with a Government subsidy of $4,700,000 to be considered by an imperial economic committee which would inquire into the possibility “of preparing for market and marketing, within the United Kingdom, food products of the overseas parts of the Empire, with a view to increasing the consumption of such products in the United Kingdom in preference to imports from foreign countries and to promote the interests both of producers and consumers.

Adjournment. The House adjourned until Feb. 10 for the Christmas holidays.

*Lady Diana Duff Cooper is a daughter of the Duke of Rutland. She is better known as Lady Diana Manners, famed beauty and actress.