The debate was continued on Friday, January -18th, when the
Duchess of Atholl made a distinct success of her maiden speech. She showed truly enough, and in graceful and persuasive words, how progressive and constructive a programme was offered by the Govern- ment in the King's Speech. Mr. J. H. Thomas repudiated the notion that the Labour Party was less patriotic than any other party. A Labour Government would be under the influence of neither Germany nor Russia. The association of the Labour Party with the Socialist International, for which he refused to apologise, did not mean foreign dictation. No Government could possibly have lowered British prestige abroad more than it had been lowered by Mr. Baldwin's Government. Mr. Neville Chamberlain pointed out that Mr. Thomas had omitted to say exactly what the Labour Party would have done with regard to the Ruhr if they had been in office. Mr. Thomas was opposed to war, yet he had hinted that a Labour Government would have taken such action as would inevitably have meant war.
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