20 APRIL 1924
Ramsay MacDonald, the Prime Minister, said that there was no need for a General Election for two to three years and defended the record of the socialist Government.
Master Anthony Ball, the son of Sir William Bull MP, piloted the first tube train from Highgate to Moorgate via the Camden Town junctions and the northern sections of the City and London railway. [Anthony Ball became a railway expert and later on became the Chair of London Transport]
19 APRIL 1924
France stated that they had no intention of ending their military occupation of the Ruhr and Rhineland.
Opening the election campaign of the South African party in Johannesburg, General Smuts, the Prime Minister, denounced the Nationalist-Labour pact as a ‘miserable subterfuge’ and ‘the most immoral things that has happened in South African politics’.
18 APRIL 1924
The Reparations Commission decided to approve the conclusions in the Experts’ reports and to adopt the measures. The German Chancellor in a statement to a French press representative said that Germany would make her co-operation contingent on the concession of her demands for the re-establishment of her economic and administrative unity. Political prisoners would have to be pardoned.
Kiyoura Keigo, the Japanese Prime Minister, expressed regret at the decision of the United States Congress to exclude Japanese immigrants. This action he said would impair, but not break, the long-standing friendship between the two nations.
Moscow stated that it was disappointed at the speech made by Ramsay MacDonald, the Prime Minister, saying that it was “cloaking the demands of the British bankers”.
17 APRIL 1924
Ramsay MacDonald, the Prime Minister, stated that as regards to the Government’s foreign policy, he had never made any secret of his conviction that in any settlement Germany must play the part of a voluntarily co-operating nation.
The United States Senate adopted and reapproved by 71 votes to 4 votes the Japanese exclusion amendment to the Immigration Bill.
Negotiations took place in London for a settlement of the shipyard dispute, and a resumption in work was expected.
16 APRIL 1924
Germany accepted the experts’ report on reparation payments as a basis of negotiations. The British Government said that it would back the report.
The French Government said that it would not withdraw from the Ruhr Valley until financial reparations were received from Germany.
Southampton ship workers decided to return to work on condition that an immediate conference took place to secure uniformity of pay between Southampton and London.
15 APRIL 1924
The estimate for the provision of free travel for MPs between London and their constituencies passed the Report Stage in the House of Commons.
The Greek plebiscite resulted in a victory for the Republicans.
The entire Danish Cabinet resigned.
14 APRIL 1924
Elaborate police measures were taken for the protection of the Russian delegates at the Anglo-Soviet conference which opened in London. The Prime Minister, who addressed the conference, received from leading British bankers a memorandum setting forth the steps by which Russia’s credit could be restored.
The conclusion of an alliance between France and Romania was announced to be imminent.
The Japanese Government addressed a very strong note to the United States protesting against the immigration measure before Congress which practically banned all Japanese immigrants. The Government said that the pride of Japan would be seriously offended by such an enactment.
22 FEBRUARY 1924
Dockers’ delegates discussed the terms of the provisional settlement, but failed to reach agreement, and another conference was planned.
Arthur Henderson, the Home Secretary, said in Burnley that the Government proposed to carry through the House of Commons a new Bill to limit the working week to 48 hours.
20 FEBRUARY 1924
The General Council of the Trades Union Congress meeting in London decided to pledge the support of the British Trade Union movement to the unions involved in the dock strike.
John Wheatley, the Minister of Health, had a conference with representatives of the suppliers and producers of building materials who gave an assurance that in their housing scheme the Government would have the whole-hearted co-operation of the materials manufacturers of the country, and that there would be no attempt to advance prices.
In response to an appeal by Lord Balfour, American help is promised for the relief of distress in the Highlands and Islands.
19 FEBRUARY 1924
A Court of Inquiry was set up by the Government in connection with the dockers’ strike. The Cabinet issued a warning to ‘profiteers’ in regard to unjust increases in food prices, and steps were taken to prevent the exploitation of consumers.
JC Fenton was appointed as the Solicitor General for Scotland.
Ramsay MacDonald, the Prime Minister, in reply to a deputation from the League of Nations Union said everything the Government could do to make the League a real force in the national policy they would do.