Parliament's Week

In the rain-drenched Highland town of Inverness, the Town Councilors last week offered Freedom-of-the-Burgh to Stanley Baldwin and Ramsay MacDonald "in recognition of the distinction they have brought to Clan Donald." Not widely known is the fact that Britain's two foremost statesmen are distant cousins. Stanley Baldwin's mother was a MacDonald, his ancestors rebellious Jacobites.

Immediately after the opening of Parliament last fortnight, Distant Cousin Baldwin and Distant Cousin MacDonald had the following amicable exchange:

Cousin Stanley (leader of the Opposition) : "I think it would interest the House to know if such a visit [to the U. S.] is in the Prime Minister's mind, and whether he proposes to seek His Majesty's permission to make that visit. I think a visit of that nature is absolutely right. I have always felt both countries suffered very much because of the absence of personal intercourse between American and English statesmen."

Cousin Ramsay: "I say with all my heart that I associate myself absolutely with what the leader of the Opposition says about the great desirability of personal conference between those who bear the burden of state and those with whom they come in contact. But I will communicate to the honorable gentleman when I am in a position to make a definite statement as to what arrangements have been made."

Last week the Parliament led by the distant cousins proceeded with affairs of the realm:

Naval Reductions. Commenting bitterly on the loss of the H4? (see p. 22) and the long series of previous British submarine disasters, Lt. Commander Joseph Montague Kenworthy, Laborite, M. P., a retired naval officer, urged complete abolition of the submarine as an instrument of war, urged stopping construction on the six British submarines now under construction. Speaking next day in sooty, steel-manufacturing Sheffield, First Lord of the Admiralty Albert Victor Alexander seemed to agree with him. Said he:

"What a great thing it would be if we could persuade the nations of the world to abandon the submarine for warfare! I think it must be said to the credit of this country that such a proposal was made years ago by Britain, but it has not been possible to achieve international agreement on the matter.

"Apart from the humanity of such a move it would be an immense saving. We could do without many destroyers, now needed solely to guard against submarine attack."

In the House, it was voted to cancel the building of the six new submarines.

More important in point of money involved was talk of abandoning work on the huge Singapore naval base. In 1923, largely at the insistence of Australia and New Zealand, work was started on a naval base at Singapore, to cost $40,000,000. It was vetoed the next year by the first Labor Government, then started again, but less enthusiastically, after the return of the Conservatives in 1924. To date an enormous floating dock has been built, quite as valuable to the merchant marine as the navy. Three 18-in. guns, built during the War for the unsuccessful cruiser Furious, have been hauled from dusty Admiralty stores and shipped East. Laborites last week urged turning over the floating dock for commercial uses, cancelling the rest of the program.

Rhine Troops. Secretary of State for War Tom Shaw announced that there would be no Brigade maneuvers by the British army on the Rhine this year. Said he: "This Government will not willingly cause either inconvenience or annoyance to the German civilian population." The Labor program calls for early evacuation of the Rhineland.

Russian Recognition. It was announced that the Labor Government was preparing a note to be sent to Moscow opening the way for immediate resumption of diplomatic relations. Since Britain and Russia are officially not on speaking terms, the note is to be forwarded through the Norwegian foreign office. To evidence its respect for the Stalin Government, the MacDonald Government also voted to exclude from England shock-headed Leon Trotzky, exiled by the Stalinists.

Shortly after the Trotzky debate an unknown man, glowering, rang the bell at Foreign Secretary Arthur Henderson's flat. A terrified maid, through the half-opened door, bade him be gone. The stranger pulled a large and ugly pistol from his belt, brandished it shouting, "Just you wait! I'll get him yet!"

The next day two young men, elegantly dressed, called on Mr. Henderson. When told that Mr. Henderson was not in they cursed violently and left, muttering threats. Blue-helmeted police stood near the Henderson flat late last week, thumbs in their belts, solemnly chewing the ends of their mustaches.

Liquor. The Commission to investigate the sale of liquor, promised in the Speech-from-the-Throne, remained only a promise last week. But British Drys took comfort in a statement by Postmaster General H. B. Lees Smith that in future liquor advertisements would be excluded from postoffice buildings and the pages of government publications, at a cost in Government revenue of about $20,000 a year.

Debts. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Snowden, pixie-faced, leaning on two canes, commented, amid cheers, on France's efforts to ratify the Mellon Berenger debt agreement (see p. 22).

"From the outset of the negotiations for funding the French War debt," said he, "the late government laid it down as a fundamental principle that any payments which France might make to the United States should be accompanied simultaneously by proportionate payments to Great Britain. . . . We are watching with considerable interest the discussions going on in Paris . . . the government will certainly insist on the conditions laid down by Mr. Churchill."

Tariff. The MacDonald government served notice last week that it was ready to abandon the Conservative policy of protective tariff, and thereupon received its first vote-of-confidence. In a clean-cut vote on the question of continuing Stanley Baldwin's "safeguarding of industry" tariff, the Labor government received the surprising majority of 120 votes, more than even the most optimistic Laborites expected. London business circles felt sure that the duties on motor cars, pianos, machinery--all typical U. S. exports--will be canceled at the passing of next year's budget.

Politicians were less interested in the subject of the vote than its effect. It was the first time that the Liberals, who voted with the Government, had voted unanimously since the War. Experts prophesied a much longer Labor reign than the two years Premier MacDonald had asked for.

Unemployment. As a first step in his plan to solve the unemployment problem, Lord Privy Seal "Jim" Thomas introduced a resolution authorizing the Treasury to advance $5,000,000 a year to help develop the Colonies and Mandated Territories. Carefully he explained that by developing the Colonies (not the self-governing Dominions) they would directly aid British unemployment by increasing the demand for British exports in those colonies.

"There is practically no product that cannot be produced somewhere in this great empire," said Privy Seal Thomas.

Giving examples of colonial projects that deserved immediate assistance he mentioned a great drainage scheme in fever-ridden Sierra Leone, West Africa; works in Northern Rhodesia to accommodate the enormous copper developments there; railway work between East African Kenya Colony and the British protectorate, Uganda.

Chief objection to these colonial developments came, unexpectedly, from back-bench (unimportant) Laborites.

Laborite C. Roden Buxton objected: "This is spending too much money on other people."

Answered Privy Seal Thomas: "These colonies are within the Empire, therefore they are British. I protest against their being called 'other people' by anybody in the British House of Commons." Objector Roden, squelched, sat down.

Laborite W. J. Brown, newly-elected, objected: "Is there anything to stop this money being used on private enterprises? Is there?"

"Jim" Thomas fixed him with a withering eye and said: "When you have been in this House as many years as you have been here weeks you will know better than to ask such questions."

Chuckling, the Conservatives supported Privy Seal Thomas's resolution.