FOR UNANIMITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 65, 17 March 1936, Page 7

FOR UNANIMITY.

LOCARNO POSITION.

Decision Lies With Britain And Italy Alone. OTHERS HAVE NO VOTE. United Press Association. —Copyright. (Received 2 p.m.) LONDON, March 16. The League and the Locarno Powers are again awaiting Herr Hitler's word. Tll'at is the position to-night. The Australian Associated Press is assured that nothing but the form of the invitation to Germany was discussed at to-day's private sessions. The League Council decidcd that it was incompetent to deal with the second section of the German reply, which is a matter for the Locarno Powers alone. The British Government is hopeful that Herr Hitler will accept the latest invitation and by sending a special envoy to provide more encouraging circumstances for the Locarno Powers to discuss his long-term European peace proposals. Should Germany accept, the position would be that the votes of France, Belgium and permany, as guaranteed Powers under Locarno, would not count in calculating unanimity, but the votes of Britain and Italy as guarantor Powers would count. The closest parallel to bringing Germany before the Council is the case of the Mosul boundary dispute in 1923 when Turkey, then a non-member, was assured that there was no reason to fear the nature of her reception from the Council. The only other feature of the proceedings was M. Fiandin's formal demand that the Council record Germany's violation of Locarno, whereupon Mr. Bruce delayed discussion. "The Times" Munich correspondent says the censor has drastically handled Herr Hitler's Munich speech, a tame version only appearing in the German Press. FRANCE ADAMANT. Reply Tantamount to Refusal Of Invitation. CABINET WITH FLANDIN. PARIS, March 16. The general opinion in Paris is that the League's future is at stake. Herr Hitler's reply has caused surprise because his conditions are regarded as tantamount to a refusal of the invitation. France will not change her policy. She considers that the Council's main discussions must bo on the question: "Negotiations or no negotiations, sanctions or no sanctions 1" The entire Cabinet supports M. Fiandin's statement.

The Prime Minister, M. Sarraut, received a telegram yesterday from the members of the general municipal council at Sidi-bel-Abbes, the headquarters of the Foreign Legion in Algeria, assuring the Government in the name of the Moslem population of its inalienable attachment to France and' its willingness to defend the country's rights.