THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 28, 1989.
Rumours Reach London Of Further Threat To Lithuania
STATEMENT IN PARLIAMENT
ON ULTIMATUM
London, To-day.
Events in Memel and Lithuania formed the sub- ject of a statement in the House of Commons by the Home Secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare, in the absence of the Prime Minister, who was conferring with M. Bonnet.
Replying to a question by Mr. Attlee, Sir Samuel
gave a summary of the negotiations between
the Lithuanian Foreign Minister and Herr von
Ribbentrop and described the German Gov-
ernment's demand for immediate retrocession
of Memel under threat of invasion in the event
of resistance as an ultimatum.
Sir Samuel added that the Lithu- The Lithuanian Government had anian Government had received an not approached the British Gov- assurance that no further demands crnment since the demand was pre- would be made on it if the German sented. demands were satisfied.
BETTER WAIT
This statement conflicts with ru- Mr. Arthur Henderson (Labour) mours current here that the Ger- drew attention to the fact that man Government has addressed de-Britain was a signatory of the Me- mands to Kaunas similar to those mel Convention of 1924, and -ask- formulated in the case of Czecho-ed if it was proposed to protest or slovakia.
take other action.
no
The Home Secretary, continuing, said that Lithuania had sent communication to the British Gov- ernment.
BRITAIN'S POSITION
In answer to further questions, Sir Samuel Hoare said that Mr. Chamberlain would himself, in the course of a later debate on the sub- ject, define the position of Britain as a signatory of the Memel Con- vention of 1924 and inform the House of the course which the Bri- tish Government proposed to take.
In reply to this and other ques- tions, Sir Samuel Hoare thought that "matters had better wait for the fuller statement the Prime Minister intends to make."-Reuter.
U.S. INCREASES
DEFENCES
He denied any knowledge of whe-
Washington, To-day.... ther the Lithuanian Government The House of Representatives had appealed or would appeal to military committee has approved the Soviet for assistance in the de- the Government's bill appro- "fence of the remainder of Lithuan-priating $117,000,000 for coastal
ian territory.
defence and to remedy "critical""
-H.E: THE-
GOVERNOR -INDISPOSED
Owing to the Indisposition of His Excellency the Governor, the Hon. Mr. N. L. Smith (Colonial Secretary) presided at this afternoon's meeting of the Legis- lative Council.
Sir Geoffry's Indisposition is not serious, but he has been ordered. to rest for a day or two.
CHENG CHIEN REPORT RIDICULED
Chungking, To-day.
The Japanese report that General Cheng Chien, Chinese Chief of Staff, succumbed on Tuesday as the result of injur- ies received in the bombing of Lanchow on Feb. 23, is stated to be entirely unfounded.
Reuter is informed that Gen- eral Cheng Chien was not t Lanchow on Feb. 23 nor has he ever been injured in the course of the présent hostilities.
The report is believed to have arisen from the fact that during the Japanese bombing of Sian early this month, sever- al bombs made direct hits on the dug-out in which General
JAPANESE LABOUR
EXPERTS FOR
电
CANTON
Canton, To-day. Yet another group of Japanese labour and economic experts are arriving here shortly.
The latest experts are being sent by the Tokyo Industrial and La- bour Promotion Institute Mission.
The party will study local busi- ness conditions for the purpose of developing industries, at the same time introducing a methodical la bour system. Reuter,
REORGANISATION BILL PASSES SENATE
Washington, To-day.
Bill, Roose-
The Senate yesterday passed the Government's Reorganisation intended to give President velt some of the powers refused after a bitter debate last year. -
The Bill has already passed the House of Representatives, and now goes to the Congress conference.- Reuter.
Cheng was sheltering, blowing in the gates.
The debris was removed and . General Cheng Chien climbed
out uninjured.-Reuter.
Britain Ready To Pay Four Millions For Czech Refugees
London, To-day.
He confirmed, however, that Herr deficiencies in a my equipment MOVING in the House of Commons the second
Hitler had assured Mr. Chamberlain Expenditure of $2,140,000 for ex- ́at Munich that Germany had no in-tension of air research facilities at tention of intervening in any shape Langley Field, Virginia, was ap- or form in the future status of proved by the committee after hear- Memel.-Trans-Ocean.
ing the testimony of officials of NO SPECIAL STATEMENT the National Advisory Committee London, To-day. |for "Aeronautics that Germany is The steps leading to surrender of building better military aerodromes Memel to Germany were outlined by than America because they were the Home Secretary, Sir Samuel far ahead in aeronautical research. Hoare, deputising for Mr. Cham-Reuter.
berlain, in the House of Commons,
yesterday.
After stating that he had DARDANELLES
no
the
special statement to make regard- ing Central Europe, Sir. Samuel said that as regards Memel, Lithuanian Foreign Minister, while in Berlin, received a demand for immediate cession to the Reich.
This was accompanied by a threat that in the event of any resistance or application for support from elsewhere, the matter – would be dealt with in a military senge.
PASSAGE FOR BRITISH SHIPS
London, To-day.
The right of British warships to pass through the Dardanelles** is, at present, the subject of négotja- FOUR DAY- ULTIMATUM,
tions - between · the British and The demand amounted to an ulti-Turkish Governments, stated the -matum, and the Lithuanian Govern- Undersecretary of State at the ment: had to decide within approxi- Foreign Office, Mr. R. A. Butler, in mately four days.
the House of Commons yesterday, An assurance was given that if when asked in the British Gövern- the demand was accepted fur ment had coundered? What steps made. would have to be taken in the event (Tronidal laughter), The demands, of an attack on Rumania. he understood, had been accepted. Ocean.
ther demands would b
-Trans-
reading of the Czecho-Slovakia (Restrictions. on Banking Accounts) Bill, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir John Simon, mentioned the £10,000,000 fund from which £3,750,000 had al- ready passed to Czecho-Slovakia before the German invasion.
This payment, he said, was made the considered he was entitled to re- partly from the £4,000,000 which gard these as recoverable. was a free gift to assist refugees. On the other hand, Britain was and partly from money which was prepared to spend £4,000,000 to a loan to the former Czecho Slova-help refugees to get away from kia and which the Czech Govern- Czecho-Slovakia, and approximately ment had undertaken to repay. £750,000 of the £4,000,000 had al- Sir John Simon said that so far ready been used for that purpose. as the sums drawn were from loan, -Reuter.
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