FRANCE WARNED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 127, 11 March 1936, Page 5

FRANCE WARNED

GERMAN VIEW OF FUTURE. DIPLOMATIC ISOLATION. CONFIDENT OF INACTION. (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) BERLIN, March 10. The German Press continues to be jubilant in view of what is described as the conciliatory nature of the speeches in the House of Commons. The “Volkischer Beobachter” goes so far as to warn France from becoming diplomatically isolated. The general, opinion in Berlin is: “Our troops are in tlie Rhineland; nobody will do anything about it.”

WITHDRAWAL NEGOTIATIONS. FRENCH CONDITIONS STATED. GERMANY NOT LIKELY TO AGREE (Received This Day, 12.55 p.m.) PARIS. March 10. France has moved up 150,000 troops —half the normal homo force—to the Magihot line of fortifications. It is authoritatively stated that France is ready to negotiate with Germany, provided the troops are withdrawn and a conference held at Geneva within the framework of the League. A Berlin message says that an official spokesman denounced France’s intransigeance, .declaring that Herr Hitler’s offer is France’s last big chance and that France can now have security as never before. . The French condition that German troops should be withdrawn is regarded ill Germany as out of the question, although it is reported that the troops are forbidden to approach within eight miles of the frontier as a gesture of friendship. '

LOCARNO POWERS MEET. HISTORIC GATHERING IN PARIS. PROPOSED DEMANDS ON GERMANY. (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) PARIS, March 10. The Locarno Conference opened at 10.30 in the famous clockroom of the French Foreign Office. Delegates sat round a horseshoe table. Signor Cerutti and M. Bonecourt were the earliest arrivals followed by Mr Anthony Eden, severe and tight-lipped, by contrast- to the smiling Lord Halifax, the British Ambassador (Sir George Clerk) and Foreign Office experts.' Hundreds gathered outside Quai d’Orsay to watch the delegates arrive. Army attendants prevented strangers approaching the conference room and the red-carpeted corridors were kept free for the delegates. M. Flandin (French Foreign Minister) opened the conference. He briefly sketched the events of the ’week-end, stressing that they not only impaired France-German relations, hut concerned the future of the Locarno Pact, and all other treaties on which world peace depended,. M. Flandin made the following demands:—l(l) That the Locarno Powers send the strongest demand to Germany to withdraw her troops from the Rhineland ; (2) To refuse to negotiate with Germany so long as German troops remain in the demilitarised zone; (3) If the trooops are withdrawn, negotiations can be started under Article VIII. of the Locarno Treaty, providing that the Council of the League of Nations can tern inate the Treat" with the consent of the signatories; (4) If Germany refuses to withdraw her troops, the Locarno Powers ask for sanctions, the first of which would he to recall their Ambassadors from Berlin. BALKAN STATES TO CONFER. ATTITUDE IN EVENT OF WAR. BULGARIA UNDER SUSPICION. (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) ATHENE, March 10. Representatives of Rumania, Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey will meet at Belgrade on March 23, to discuss the attitude of the signatories to the Balkan Pact in the event of a European conflict. The respective governments and the respective general staffs are anxious to come to complete understanding. There have been rumours of hurried secret military preparations in Bulgaria, leading to apprehensions that she intends to denounce the clauses of the Treaty of Nouilly under which she renounced her claims to Macedonia and Thrace. Greece and Turkey are reported to have promised Yugoslavia assistance in the event of a conflict with Bulgaria or Italy, provided it is limited to the Balkans. A GERMAN OBSERVER. (Received This Day, 9.35 a.m.) GENEVA, March 10. Germany is sending Baron von Solimilden, a former League official, to Geneva as observer to report to HenHitler.