RHINELAND DEMILITARISED ZONE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 125, 9 March 1936, Page 5

RHINELAND DEMILITARISED ZONE

OFFICIALLY “SYMBOLIC” STEP DENUNCIATION OF THE TREATIES PROPOSALS TO THE POWERS I (United Press Association —Copyright) BERLIN, March 7. ~ German troops inarched into the demilitarised Rhineland zone early rhi« morning. Before Herr Hitler had uttered a word Germany had flouted the Versailles Treaty. German troops entered Cologne early this morning. It is officially stated that the remainder of the troops will move in to-morrow; when the Rhineland Garrison will consist of 19 battalions of infantry. 13 artillery detachments, two flights of pursuit aeroplanes, and two detachments of anti-aircraft guns. . The majority will be stationed along the Rhine and in the Rhine Valley between the Black Forest and the Rhine, small garrisons will be posted at Aix-ia-Chapelle, Treves, and Saarbnicken, and air squadrons at Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Mannheim. Diplomatic representatives of the Locarno Powers have been informed that the reoccupation of the Rhineland is symbolic and coniine to a few battalion*- The Government does not intend to carry out reoccupation in force. Meanwhile, the British. French, Belgian, and Italian Ambassadors called individually on Herr Hitler and received a memorandum reported to be a denunciation of the Locarno Treaty on account of the hrancqSoviet pact, declaring that Germany regards herself as free from the stipulations affecting the Rhineland, expressing willingness to agree to a new demilitarised zone —provided France and Belgium also demilitarise zones on their own frontiers—and offering to sign a 25-year non-aggression pact, provided Britain and Italy are guarantors, The memorandum is also said to express willingness to conclude an air pact in the west and a non-aggression pact, including Lithuania, in the east The memorandum adds: “Germany expects the colonial question to be settled within a reasonable time through friendly negotiation. If ail these matters are agreed to Germany is prepared to return to the League of Nations, but the League Covenant must be separated from the Versailles Treaty.