5 MARCH 1925
In the House of Lords, the Earl of Balfour said it was not only erroneous, but most mischievous and unfortunate, to suggest that the Singapore scheme gave any just cause for complaint by Japan.
A financial resolution relating to the Church of Scotland (Property and Endowments) Bill was discussed in Committee of the House of Commons. It was explained that the resolution was necessary to enable the Treasury to negotiate with the Church authorities for the redemption of certain sums that are at present payable out of the Consolidated Fund. Mr Barr’s amendment providing that such capital sums shall not exceed the amount, together with interest thereon, necessary for discharging in full all existing life interests, was rejected by 234 to 101, and the resolution agreed to. The Food Prices Commission came in for sharp criticism by Socialist members on a motion by Mr Lansbury calling for prompt State action to stop profiteering. The motion was rejected.
Viscount Grey, addressing the Liberal Parliamentary party, of which he was the guest at dinner at the House of Commons last night, said that the British Government made a difficulty about adhering to the Geneva Protocol, but we could not go on turning down all proposals for security and making none ourselves.
Mr Reginald McKenna, chairman of the Midland Bank, addressed the Commercial Committee of the House of Commons on the restoration of the gold standard.
Lord Rawlinson, Commander-in-Chief in India, speaking in the Legislative Assembly, evoked strong protests from Indian members by a remark that it was no simple matter to create a national army, “because India was not a nation.”
President Coolidge, in his Inaugural Address, said that the United States represented nothing but peaceful intentions toward all the earth, but it ought not to fail to maintain such military force as comported with the dignity and security of a great people.