London, Feb, Germany's demand for the return her former colonies figured largely the House of Commons last night when the Government was bombarded with questions on the subject.
Cmdr. Oliver Locker-Lampson, Conservative member for the Handsworth division of Birmingham, asked when ther the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony Eden, could not announce the result of the negotiations last week between Lord Halifax, the Acting Foreign Secretary, and Mere [Joachim von Ribbentrop, ihe German Ambassador in London, He requested an undertaking that there would be no return of Colonies or offer of overseas commercial opportunities, to Germany without Sebate in the House.
On behaly of Mr. Eden, who is sti" absent on holiday, Viscount Cranborne, "Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, said the recent conversations between Lord Halifax and Herr von Ribbentrop were in no sense negotiations but merely exchange of views on a number of topies of interest to the two countries.
He referred to Mr. Stanley Baldwin's statement on April 27, when the Prime Minister emphasized that the Government was not considering the question, Mr, V. Adams, Conservative member for West Leeds, asked the Foreign Secretary whether, to dispel Ill-founded German expectancy, would state in unmistakable terms that the Government could not contemplate the cession to Nazi Germany of any territory whatsoever under British political' control, Viscount Cranborne replied that, as previously stated, the Government had not considered, and were not considering, such a problem.
Mr. Adams: "Are not discussions in Viscount Cranborne. "It ig inherent in my answer that the matter has mot been considered and is not being considered, Sir Perey Herns, Opposition Liberal member for south-west Bethnal Green, gaked whether news paper reposts in connection with the mater were unfounded.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.