INCREASING HOSTILITY TO PEACE PLAN

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21656, 14 December 1935, Page 17

INCREASING HOSTILITY TO PEACE PLAN

“Storm of Indignation” Caused EXPECTED REJECTION BY LEAGUE COUNCIL Mr Eden Says Proposals Are Not Sacrosanct Opposition to the peace proposals of Sir Samuel Hoare and M. Laval, both in England and in other countries, has grown to such an extent that British newspaper comment would appear to dissociate the British public from the terms offered. “The Times” says: “Neither good sense nor good faith requires that the British Government shall stand upon the terms, which should never have been put forward and are now bound to fail.” It is said that the proposals are causing “a storm of indignation throughout the world.” M. Laval, it is reported, is concentrating not only on shelving the proposal for an oil embargo, but on lifting other sanctions on the ground that they are incompatible with free conduct of the peace negotiations. He told the Committee of Eighteen on Thursday that when the proposals had been sub- • mitted to the League Council, which meets on December 18, the task of the French and British Governments would be done. Mr R, A. Eden said at the meeting of the committee that the proposals were neither definite nor sacrosanct, but were suggestions which, it was hoped, might form a basis for negotiations. A Geneva message says that according to press telegrams there will be two alternatives open to the League Council: that if the proposals are unacceptable to both Italy and Abyssinia they should be dropped, and that if they are not accepted in their present form by either party they should be revised and submitted again. Rejection by the council is regarded as certain in some ' quarters, the “News-Chronicle” saying the proposals can be regarded as dead.