TALKS IN LONDON

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 40, 26 November 1937, Page 5

TALKS IN LONDON

BRITAIN AND FRANCE. REFERENCE TO GERMANY, BERLIN REACTS FAVOURABLY. (United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, November 25. The Prime Minister (Mr Chamberlain) informed the House of Commons that the French Prime Minister (M. Chautemps) and the French Foreign Minister (M. Delhos) will visit London for an exchange of views on the international situation on November 29. Asked if the Government would consider an interchange of Ministerial visits with Prague and Moscow, he replied in the negative, reminding the House that the Foreign Secretary (Mr .Eden) had recently met the Czech Prime Minister (Dr. Hodza) in London and M. Litvinov (Russian Foreign Commissar) at Brussels. The diplomatic correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” understands that economic aspects of world problems will be icnluded in the talks, with special reference to the claims of dissatisfied States for freer access to raw materials and scope for overseas expansion. “France is not being left in the cold,” is the general attitude of the Paris newspapers to the invitation. Commentators state that Britain is faced with vital decisions and cannot face them alone. The Paris correspondent of “The Times” says there is the utmost satisfaction at the invitation to Ministers to go to London. This is regarded as a striking practical demonstration of the oft-proclaimed fact that Britain and France are resolved to act together in situations affecting both. The Berlin correspondent of the ‘Daily Telegraph” says official quarters express the opinion that the London visit is an entirely normal event. Germany considers close relations between London and Paris to be as much a political reality, as the Berlin-Home axis. It is thought natural that Mr Chamberlain should wish to inform the French of Lord Halifax’s talks. Admitting that the visit is a manifestation of a London-Paris axis, political circles consider there may be good results. Italians have much confidence in Mr Chamberlain, and hope that lie may seek to influence France to a more realistic understanding of Italian and German needs. “The Times,” in a leading article, says: “The French visit will allow for a most opportune consultation in the widest terms between two Governments which have an equal interest in easing the European tension. The conversations in Germany, if all goes well, will engage Paris as well as London and Berlin, in a new search for appeasement; nor are they, at least, incompatible with conversations in Rome. “British policy certainly will not lend itself to the allegation that it is trying to play off Rome and Berlin against each other, nor that it is seeking to undermine the Rome-Ber-lin axis.”