ANTI-COMMUNIST PACT

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22244, 8 November 1937, Page 11

ANTI-COMMUNIST PACT

Germany, Italy, And Japan Sign

"AGAINST COMMON / ENEMY"

"No Hidden Aims" (UNITED PUESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT.) (Received November 7, 9 p.m.) ROME, November G. The anti-Communist Pact was signed to-day by Count Ciano (Italian Foreign Minister), Mr Tamekichi Ohta (Japanese Ambassador), and Herr Joachim von Ribbentrop (German Ambassador). Only officials were present. Article I embodies the text of the German-Japanese Pact of 1936 The three signatories agree that Italy shall be considered an original signatory to the pact, of which che present protocol is an integral part. The protocol records that "the three parties consider that Communism, which continues to endanger civilisation in the East and j in the West, is troubling and destroy- | ing peace, and can only be restricted and removed by the close collabora- I tion of States interested in the maintenance of peace and order. "Italy, which after the advent of Fascism, fought with inflexible determination against such perils and eliminated Communism from Italy, has decided to line itself against the common enemy, with Germany and i Japan which are animated by the same intention to defend themselves against Communism." After J-he signing, Count Ciano said the pact had no hidden aims. It was directed against nobody, but was open to all. Herr von Ribbentrop said the Pact aimed at stemming the threatened designs of the Third Internationale to disintegrate States by the preparation .of cominterns for armed intervention.

Mr Ohta said: "We express our clear determination to resist Communism which is threatening civilisation."

Dr. V. Gayda, writing in the "Giornale d'ltalia," declares: "The Anti - Comintern Pact links 200,000,000 peop'.e. 'lt is backed by 2,000,000 tons of warships. Japan is fhe third naval Power in the world and her strength is rapidly increasing. "If the seas become a vehicle for propaganda in the service of Communism, as in the Mediterranean, the world should remember the naval strength of the signatories to the pact."

CONGRATULATIONS EXCHANGED

MESSAGES FROM HERR HITLER AND PRINCE KONOYE (Received November 7, 11 p.m.) LONDON, November 6. The Prime Minister of Japan (Prince Konoye) cabled to Signor Mussolini and Herr Hitler his congratulations on the conclusion of the pact and his hopes that other nations interested in the fight against Coimunism would join the pact. Herr Hitler telegraphed to Signor Mussolini welcoming Italy as a party to the pact to offer a defence against the disintegration of the world by Bolshevism. . Herr Hitler sent a communication in similar terms to Prince Konoye.