New-York tribune., 1922-03-15
'Curzon Bitterly
Assails Molltagu
Before Lord $
'Nili6cd Colleague aud
Sought 10 Shift Blame
for Indian Letters Pub'i-
cation. He Inform Peers
Peril to Empires Policy
Reads Text Of Comrau,ica-
ton TO Dcpnscd Official.
RcbukingPronounccmcni
From The Tfihu'c's Europcda Rjrcou

trDNT gin lF22. New YORK Tribune Inc.
LONDON. March IT, The Marquis
OF Curzon. Brit sh Foreign Secretary.
replying in the House OF Lords to-day
to the speech made Saturday at Cam
bridge by Edwin s. Montagu. OX~Sccrc-
tary for Indie. sccYnfully lcctured mis-
fo,mcr colleague on political bad man
ner Montague who sat in the visitors'
gallery during the speech. charged at
Cambridge that Lord Curzon had known
IN advance of the Indian appeal. pub
ication of which forced Mon;agu $
csignstion, and instead of trying 90
prevent publication. had written the
Secretary for India "a plantive. bully
ing. hoctoring, complaining lctter.'
The Foreign Secretary said chat
Montagu had "travcsticd private con
vcrsation and lettcrs." "vilGod col
league and sought to shift to otnor
shoulders part Of the blame for his
own indiscrotjon.
Lord Cvrzon said that We had kept
no copy Of his letter to Montagu. hay
ing regarded it as confidential, but the
latter had returned COPY, and tins
the Foreign Minister read to the
Housc He explained that when
Montagu failed 10 reply to this com
municaton Lord Curzon thought that
it was too late to prevent publication
Interests Cravcly involved
The Foreign Secretary said that the
publica tion of the Indian appeal had
gravely involved the Interests of the
British Empire at the interAl'ied con-
ference on Near East affairs in Paris
next wcei.
Discussing the personal issue be
zon said that the iatter's reference TO
private correspondence in his speech
AT Cambridge vas the most astonish-
ing act, without parallel, III the his
tory Of Cabinet proceedings
The incident was ended. so far as the
House Of Lords was concerned, when
the Marquis of Grove, or behalf Of
the Liberals, said that. although Mon
tagu's indiscretioN was largely cx-
cused by the Cabinets las enforcement
Of the policy OF collective responsible
itN, Lord Curzon's letter as read to
the House did rot seem to deserve the
Secretary TOR India.
Montagu will have an opportunity
to reply 70 Lord Curzon when the mat
ter is thrashed out in debate in the
House or Commons Tomorrow
The Earl Of Derby arrived in Lon
don from Paris Tonight Doubt is c.
pressed whether he VIII be able to ac-
cept the post vacated by Montagu's dis
missa from the Cabinet because Of
the possibility that NC may mead A
new Conservative Cabinet if Premier
Lloyd George resigns.
SurYOn'S Letter TO NOntary
LONDON. March IA (By The Asso-
cIated Press ).-Loid Curzon appeared
to be under a strong emotional strain.
and his voice shook with indignation
as he spoke. He read this text OF his
letter to Montague
Dear Mr.. Montagu: J much deplore
that you should have thought it right,
without consulting the Cabinet, to
authorize publication OF the telegram.
even as amended. Had when
Nlceroy, venturcd to make a public
pronouncement in India about the for
eign policy of the government in
Europe | should have been recalled.
was once rebuked for making a casual
reference in a speech
Il consulted ar. Chamberlain this
morning. in the absence of the Prime
Minister, and found he entirely held
my views, but it was too late. That I
should be asked to GO into conference
III Paris when a subordinate branch Of
the British government 5000 miles
away is debating to the British
government what line it thinks /
ought to pursue away in Thracc seems
to me intolerabe.
Warns Against Repetition
"Thc part India sought to play, or
has been allowed to play. in this series
OF events passes my comprehension
Moreover, it would be of very
dangerous import if the government Of
India. because its rules over a large
body of Moslems, is entitled to pub
llsh its views about what we do in
Smyrna or Thrace. Egypt the Sudtn.
Palestine, the Malay peninsula or anv
other part. Is Indian opinion always to
be the final court OF Moslem appeal?
81 hope this NAV be the last of these
most unfortunate pronounccments. but
II any other rs ever contemplated |
trust YOU will at least give me an op-
portunity of expressing my opinion in
the Cabinet before sanction is given"