16 MAY 1923
An important date took place in the House of Commons on the Anglo-Russian relationship. David Lloyd George and Herbert Asquith said during the debate that they broadly agreed with the Government’s proposals.
The French Government seized control of numerous dye works in the Ruhr Valley, extending the area that they had seized in lieu of war reparations.
15 MAY 1923
The German Government said that they had a sense of dejection following the rejection by Britain and Italy of their proposed war reparations scheme.
In the House of Lords, the decision on the deportation of Art O’Brien case went against the Government, with the Home Office stating that an announcement would be made shortly.
The Finance Bill was read for a second time in the House of Commons.
14 MAY 1923
The King and Queen visited British war graves in Asiago located at the Vicentine Alps which had been on the Italian Front.
The British finally replied to the German note of war reparations, with Lord Curzon stating that “I cannot conceal from your Excellency that the proposals of your Government have come as a great disappointment”.
13 MAY 1923
The Bolshevik Government in Russia stepped back from its aggressive note of earlier in the week, saying that the country was still keen on a trading relationship.
The Irish Government said that if the British asked for the deported Art O’Brien to be returned, then they would agree to that demand.
6 people were killed in a tram accident in Churwell, on the road between Leeds and Morley.
12 MAY 1923
King George and Queen Mary visited Tivoli and Frascati as part of their Italian tour.
The Rating of Machinery Bill was read for the second time in the House of Commons.
Sir William Joynson-Hicks, the Postmaster General, defended the Government’s foreign policy.
The provisions of the Ulster Temperance Bill were outlined by Sir James Craig in the Northern Ireland Parliament.
11 MAY 1923
Three Bolshevik envoys were shot at the Lausanne conference, with Vatslav Vorovsky being killed.
Eric Geddes, the former First Lord of the Admiralty, criticised the British policy on German war reparations, saying that the French action had damaged trade and the Government should take more courageous action.
The ballot of the Boilermakers’ Society showed a large majority against acceptance of the overtime and nightshift agreement.
10 MAY 1923
Lord Salisbury, the Lord President of the Council, said that the Cabinet had agreed to a considerable increase in funding for the Air Force.
The Court of Appeal, in the O’Brien case, held that the Home Secretary’s order of deportation to Ireland was illegal. The case related to Art O’Brien, an Irish republican, who was rounded up and sent from Liverpool to Ireland.
William Thomas Cosgrave, the President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State, said that peace negotiations in Ireland had broken down.
King George and Queen Mary visited the Pope.
9 MAY 1923
Stanley Baldwin, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, said in the House of Commons that he felt the French and Belgian Governments had acted with undue haste in rejecting the war reparations offer proposed by the Germans.
Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and a fine of 100 million marks by the French occupying government’s court martial.
The Labour motion for the rejection of the Rent Restrictions Bill was defeated by 286 votes to 169.
A strongly worded note was handed by the Soviet Government to Britain about the state of affairs between the two nations.
8 MAY 1923
The Cabinet met to discuss the German proposals of war reparations which had already been rejected by the French and Belgian governments.
King George and Queen Mary were welcomed in Rome, attending a State banquet at the Quirinal Palace.
The Special Constables Bill passed the Report Stage and Third Reading in the House of Commons.
7 MAY 1923
Mabel Philipson, the wife of Hilton Philipson who had lost his seat for election irregularities, was selected as the Unionist candidate for the Berwick-on-Tweed constituency.
The New York State legislature repealed the Prohibition Enforcement Law.