FRENCH FOREIGN POLICY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22338, 28 February 1938, Page 11

FRENCH FOREIGN POLICY

CHANGE URGED IN CHAMBER RECOGNITION OF ITALY'S EMPIRE SHELTERING BEHIND BRITAIN RESENTED BY M. FLANDIN (UNITED PBESS ASSOCIATION—COPTBIGHT.) (Received February 27, 10.12 p.m.) PARIS, February 27. M. Pierre Flandin, former Prime Minister of France, advocated in the Chamber of Deputies a revised French policy, including recognition of the Italian empire in Abyssinia. He thanked Mr Chamberlain for support of France, but declared that Britain would increase her undertakings to France only when France had shown ability to carry out her obligations by increasing armaments production and reorganising her finances and morale.

M. Flandin also revealed that the Stresa Pact included secret military agreements, whereby Italy had

guaranteed France against reoccupation of the Rhineland, which occurred 11 months later. M. Flandin asked vyhy France was always entrenched behind Britain, when she was an ally, not a subordinate. The Chamber passed a vote of confidence in the Government by 439 votes to two. For the first time in French Parliamentary history, a coloured deputy presided in the Chamber, namely, M. Candace, the member for Gaudeloupe, who was recently elected Vice-President. The galleries were packed as soon as the doors opened. Excitement was running high when the Chamber met on Friday, in expectation of the critical foreign affairs debate.