CEDE TO GERMANY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 168, 17 July 1936, Page 8

CEDE TO GERMANY.

Which African Territories Are Considered? QUESTIONS PUZZLE BRITAIN. (Received 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, July 10. It is now revealed that the territories in Africa to which Mr. O. Pirow, South African Minister of Defence, referred to in Johannesburg on Tuesday as being possible to cede to Germany include Togoland, the Cameroons and Portuguese Angola, states the "Morning Post" diplomatic correspondent. "Unless the Government plainly indicates that the "influential circles" whom Mr. Pirow alleged were in favour of cession are not Ministerial, a large group of members of the House of Commons will demand a full Government statement in the foreign affairs debate a fortnight hence," adds the paper's correspondent. A British official wireless message reports that the Minister, Mr. Baldwin, was questioned in the House of Commons regarding the reported statements of the South African Minister of Defence on the colonial question and was asked whether the Government, in its consultations with liim during his recent visit to England, officially discusscd the question of Germany's claim to territories in Africa and whether it gave him any reason to believe the putting forward of such claims would be sympathetically entertained by Britain. Mr. Baldwin replied that he thought the question was based on misapprehension. He had understood that in his interview Mr. Pirow himself had made it clear that the impression he was giving was the result of personal observations on talks with individuals and groups, and not the outcome of specific discussions with members of the British Government. So far as the attitude of the British Government was concerned, he had nothing to add to previous statements made in the House on this subject. Sir Henry Page-Croft and Mr. Winston Churchill, prominent Conservatives, sought a more explicit statement. Finally the Prime Minister replied that the answer given by the Government was perfectly explicit. As to whether the Government had given Mr. Pirow any reason to believe that the putting forward of Germany's claims would be sympathetically received by Britain, his answer was in the negative. WARMTH OF FEELING. S. AFRICA AND GERMANY. (Received 1.30 p.m.) HAMBURG, July IG. "We gladly acknowledge that the South African and German peoples are closely related. German collaboration has played, and still plays, an important part in building up South Africa," said Dr. Gie, the South African Minister to Germany, at the launching of a new German liner to ply from the Continent to the Cape. Dr. Gie added that it would be against Natui e if South Africa and Germany did not exchange goods to a extent. °