CABINET SECRETS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 23, 23 December 1932, Page 7

CABINET SECRETS

PARTIAL DISCLOSURES. MR LLOYD GEORGE’S OBJECTION. THREAT OF PUBLICATION. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.-—Copyright.) Received December 23, 9.15 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 22. 11l the House of Commons Mr Lloyd George reverted to the question of Cabinet secrets and threatened that if partial disclosures were again given, as they were last week, he would unhesitatingly take the responsibility of publishing the whole of the transactions. If he was sent to gaol, he would have good company in Sir Robert Horne and two or three other Ministers. OBLIGATION ON MEMBERS. PENALTY FOR OFFENCES. LONDON, Dec. 22. In the House of Lords yesterday, Lord Hailsham, Secretary of State for War, in the course of a debate on Cabinet disclosures said that there seemed to be a general misconception that the only obligation on members of Cabinet was not to discloso Cabinet minutes. As a matter of fact, the obligation applied to all Cabinet conclusions, all documents, memoranda, dispatches and papers, and even to Ministers’ recollection as to what took place. The Official Secrets Act provided a penalty of two years’ imprisonment for either members of the Cabinet or the Civil Service who disclosed confidential Cabinet information. He hoped that the debate had clarified the position and shown the wisdom of retaining the old rule of complete secrecy in all its rigour and inflexibility. The Lord Chancellor said he hoped that henceforth there would be no Cabinet leakages. It was not only a breach of the oath and an offence under tho Official Secrets Act, but a breach of personal honour to disclose Cabinet proceedings. Without secrecy tho system of Cabinet Government would come to an end.

During tho discussion in tho House of Commons last week on war debts Sir Robort Horno defended at length Mr Baldwin’s debt settlement, describing tho circumstances of tho Coalition period when it seemed that much more onerous terms were inevitable. “At this time of the day propaganda against Mr Baldwin is entirely unjustified and unworthy of ordinary British methods,” he said.

Mr IJoyd George at tho outset of his speech caused a sensation by advancing to the table with a dossier of papers which be admitted wore tho Notes of Cabinet on the dobts question in tho days of the Coalition. He admitted that ho was not entitled to publish tho papers without the consent of tho Prime Minister, who would have to consult His Majesty, though ho thought it would serve a public purpose. Thero were a series of interjections and cries of “that is unfair” when ho declared that Sir Robert Horne and Sir Austen Chamberlain dissented from tho Balfour Noto. Both insisted that they only opposed tho Noto going to the European Powers when it was really directed to the United States.

At a subsequent sitting of the House Mr Baldwin, replying to Mr Lloyd George’s request for the publication of the 1922 Cabinet minutes, said that Mr Ramsay MacDonald was not prepared to advise His .Majesty to assent thereto.