MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22195, 11 September 1937, Page 15

MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE

Modified British Proposals ;> SUBMISSION TO ITALY To Failure" Is Rome Comment (trSTTED PEKSS ASSOCIATION—COPTHIOBT.) (Received September 10, 10.35 p.m.) LONDON, September 10. The "Daily Mail" says that the modified British proposals to be gubmitted to the Mediterranean conference include the placing of destroyers at intervals of 50 miles and the policing of routes along which merchantmen are advised to travel. This will necessitate reinforcing the British Fleet in the Mediterranean. The "Daily Telegraph" says it is believed that the proposals will be immediately submitted to Italy, who will be invited to co-operate. The next stage may be British, French, Italian, and German conversations, aimed at preventing further incidents. A message from Bilbao says that General de Llano has disclosed that the insurgents bought four submarines which are at present in the Mediterranean. A message from Rome states that the newspapers declare that the "piracy" conference is doomed to failure through the absence of Italy and Germany. It is authoritatively stated that if Russia makes a further move Italy may reconsider her attitude to attendance at the Nonintervention Committee. REGRET IN LONDON BIGHT POWERS WILL ATTEND CONFERENCE CBltrrlSß OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) I. RUGBY, September 9. r '. The news that Germany and Italy will not be represented at the conference on piracy in the Mediterranean was received with regret in London. , No reply has yet been received from Albania, but eight other Powers—Britain, France, Jugoslavia, Greece, Bulgaria, Rumania, Turkey, and Egypt—have intimated that they will take part in the conference/which may well be transferred to Geneva as a more convenient centre. The discussions are not expected to be prolonged, as the purpose of the meeting is severely practical and technical. The British delegation is known to have prepared proposals, which, with modifications which may be necessitated by the non-participation of Italy and Germany, are likely to provide a suitable basis for the work of the confcFßnnp In the British view the subject before the conference is of the greatest urgency; but it is of limited scope, and it may be.assumed that any tendency to deviate from the immediate and concrete goal into political or "ideological" sideplay will be resisted. The possibility of referring the problem to the Non-intervention Committee was not overlooked in London and Paris before the proposals for the conference were made, and the same cogent reasons which led the two Governments to reject the first procedure would preclude their accepting the German and Italian counter-proposals. The question of the safety of the shipping of all nations far beyond the territorial waters of Spain goes outaide the scope of the committee set up to deal with the special problems of non-intervention, even ✓if the gravity and urgency of the circumstances did not demand a more authoritative and more direct mode of negotiation. The plans of the British Government will not be disclosed until the conference assembles, and the newspapers anticipate that their nature WI U to some extent depend on the I composition of the conference. "The Times" remarks that a Kheme for confining by agreement jmong the Powers all submarines ™ certain specified areas, recognisuig that operations outside them Would be suspect, would be impracticable without Germany and Italy. "The need in the present situation J to make piratical attacks so dangerous to the attackers that they *»l be abandoned," states "The rimea" "For this purpose the dumber of„men-of-war in the Mediterranean engaged in the defence of Jwchant ships will have to be still / wither increased, but it is evidently parable that the burden should «ot be borne by this country alone. *ne forces of certain other nations °* e already protecting their own merchant ships, and all those so « n ßaged,. whether or hot they are to '? reinforced by others, could be wrected to afford protection to any known or seen to be attacked re gardless of its nationality."