On rising to speak from the old seat of Sir Austen Chamberlain below the gangway, Mr. Eden was loudly cheered He began by referring to the painfulness of the occasion to him. The ultimate aim of Great Britain, he said, was and must always be the maintenance of peace. But enduring peace must rest on foundations of frank reciprocity and mutual respect. The issue on which he had resigned was whether conversations with Italy should be opened in Rome now, "In my conviction," Mr. Eden declared, ^the attitude of the Italian Government to international problems generally, and Great Britain in par-Ucular, is not yet such as to justify this course (cheers). The ground has been in no way prepared."
"Propaganda against Britain by the Italian Government is rife throughout the world. I myself am pledged to this House not tp open conversations with Italy until this hostile propaganda ceases. Before conversations in Rome begin, further progress must be made with the Spanish problem."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.