PACT WITH GERMANY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 123, 6 March 1936, Page 5

PACT WITH GERMANY.

THE PROBLEM OF ARMS. FRANCE CONSULTED BY BRITAIN (United Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, March 4. The Prime [Minister (Mr Stanley Baldwin) was asked in the House of Commons whether the French Government had been consulted before the recent naval pact with Germany, whether any further pact with Germany relative to military reductions was under consideration, whether France would be notified in advance of any negotiations and whether no further reductions of armaments with Germany would be approved by the British Government that did not include the air

forces. Mr Baldwin replied that the naval 1 agreement with Germany was signed on June 18, 1935, an outline having been communicated to the French Government on June 7, with an invitation to furnish observations at an eaily date. As regards the second part of the question, if by military reductions the member was referring to reduction or limitation of land armaments, no pact was under consideration. In regard to the third question, there was no intention to depart from the general practice of the British Government, which was to keep in close touch if possible, with those governments most directly concerned in any negotiations that might take place on the subject of armaments. In regard to the last part of the question, the British Government, as frequently stated, remained most anxious to bring about some reduction of limitation of all armaments. It could, howovci, give no undertaking to make its agreement to reduction or limitation of one branch of armaments dependent upon agreement as regards reduction or limitation of another. Mr Baldwin added: “We believe that by getting limitation in naval armaments we haye served a very useful purpose. Mr Stanley (Parliamentary T mallei al Secretary to the Admiralty) in answer to a question whether any decision on the limitation of the size of battleships reached by the Naval Conference would become applicable to Germany, stated that the agreement reached at the Conference would not be applicable to Powers other than those taking part in the Conference, but. it was hoped that arrangements might be made for acceptance of corresponding undertakings by other Rowers. He mentioned that Germany already had under construction two battleships of 26,000 tons—British Official Wireless.