NATIONS GROUPING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 285, 13 September 1933, Page 8

NATIONS GROUPING

ISOLATION OF GERMANY. FRANCO-RUSSIAN ALLIANCE. (United Press Association—Copyright). LONDON, September 12. The Paris correspondent of the "News-Chronicle" reports that the flight to Russia of the French Air Minister (M. Pierre Cot), with a number of experts, is regarded as having much significance. It suggests a re-grouping of the nations to meet the menace of Hitlerism. Russia, it is pointed out, possesses a great air force, and with France on the other side such a re-grouping would mean simultaneous reprisals in the event of German aggression. This has been the dread of every German strategist.

The Paris correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian," writing on July 3. said:—

The Oonventon (of non-aggression) signed in London to-day by Russia, Poland, the Baltic States, Rumania and Turkey has naturally been well received in France. Although a Convention of this kind has all the inherent limitations of "moral" contracts, it has none the less a threefold political significance from the French point of view.

It is expected that the acceptance in the Convention of the definition of aggression reported to the General Commission of the Disarmament Conference by M. Politis, chairman of the Security Committee, will give the definition added weight when it comes up again for discussion at the Disarmament Conference.

Secondly, the Convention, though of no direct practical consequence, marks a further step toward Germany's political solution in Eastern Europe. Lastly, the document is virtually a pact of non-aggression between Russia and Rumania, and, by implication, between Russia and the Little Entente. The French hold that the elimination of all friction in Eastern Europe and the peaceful settlement of acute problems like Bassarabia —and such a settlement, it is held, has now virtually been reduced—serve a particularly useful purpose by reducing the "danger points" in Europe, and by throwing into relief in the world's public opinion the aggressive spirit of one single country^-Germany—in the midst of a peaceful Europe. That the pacification of Europe by means of such pacts is not only on paper is demonstrated, according to the French, by the complete change in public opinion toward Russia, _and vice- versa, since the signing of the Russo-Polish non-aggression pact. If is stated that a similar change of opinion in relaton to: Russia may already be observed in Rumania.

Russia signed non-aggression pacts with Poland and France last November, and with Italy during last month. It was announced on August 23 that M. Pierre Cot would fly his own machine on an aerial tour of Europe and Russia, beginning on September 8. He wotild be escorted by famous French aces, including Costes, Codes, Rossi, Mermoz and de Troyat, all of whom have flown the Atlantic. Codos and Rossi broke the long-distance flight record recently.