'a month, was heartily cheered by the House of Commons today when he sat down after making a brilliant apologia for his part in the Paris peace fiasco.
"I cannot honestly recant," he declared.
"The course I took was the only possible course in the circumstances. When I found I had not the general approval of my countrymen, I resigned."
The House met in an atmosphere of tension and drama to hear Sir Samuel's defence and pass judgment on the Government's efforts to halt the Italo-Abyssinian war; and, by common consent, the Government, although there were no defections from its ranks in the divisions on Labour's vote of censure and Earl Winterton's amendment, had an uncomfortable day.
Almost universal sympathy for Sir Samuel Hoare was matched by the undisguisedly critical attitude of many of the Government's supporters towards the action of the Government in general.
Major C. R. Attlee, the leader of the Labour Party, who moved the vote of censure, declared that Sir Samuel had been made the scapegoat for what was the Government's collective responsibility, and called for the Cabinet's resignation.
He declared that the honour of the Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley b.ldwin, was at stake.
Later in the debate, this brought a sharp. retort from Sir Austen Chamberlain, a former Foreign Secretary, who drew thunderous plause from the Government benches when he said: "That is a challenge Jwhich every member of the National Government will ress!
Tt was apparent to the House that! Mejor Attlee made a tactical error in throwing Mz. Baldwin's personal prestige into the arena 'Tae Prime Minister' was almost Jovercome with emotion as he rose to the Hoare-Laval peace proposals were not supported by the necessary volume of popular support. ~The Government had had to consider, he declared, whether to endorse the action of a colleague or repudiate him. "None of us liked the proposals, which we thought went too far. The chief responsibility, however, was mine, and I decided that T must support'a colleague who was absent from London."
Tt_was obvious that the proposals were dead, and the Government was going to make no attempt to resur-Feet them—Reuter, been prepared to leave the proposals to the decision of the League, ft was now obvious that the proposals were completely lead.
"This Government," declared Mr. Baldwin, "is going to make no attempt to resurrect them."
The National Government emerged with flying colours from the critical debate on the Anglo-French peace] reposals in the House of Commons After Ustening to a. brilliant ex-}posé of Great Britain's foreign policy by the Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, in which he reiterated his! adherence to collective security, the House rejected the Labour motion of censure by 397 votes to 165 and ried Earl Winterton's amendment by 390 to 165, 'Speaking with emotion, Mr, Baldwin fret paid a tribute to' Sir Samuet who, hho added, on this one occasion was'still convinced that what he was doing was within the framework of the League. He had done something for which he had been condemned, Jand his services were lost.
'The loss of his services at the pres-lent time, the Prime Minister declared, wis'not only a grave loss for the Government, but one they. felt very keenly on grounds of personal' regard and affection.
When Sir Samuel Hoare went to Paris, there was an absence of Lialson during Sunday, and they were unaware, until the following day, that jan agreement had been reached.
He received a letter from Sir Samuel on Monday morning urging [the Cabinet to endorse what had been done, and, before the Cabiet had time' to study the document, a leaklage occurred. They had to' consider [whether to endorse the action of 2 colleague or repudiate him. None of them liked the proposals, which, they thought, went too far.
Mr. Baldwin added that the chief responsibility was his, and he decided immediately that he must support ggleeaue who was absent rom
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.