THE FRANCO-BELGIAN CONVENTION

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 133, 1 March 1929, Page 11

THE FRANCO-BELGIAN CONVENTION

QUESTIONS IN HOUSE OF COMMONS (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, February 27. Mr. Godfrey Locker-Lampson, Foreign Under-Secretary, answering questions in the House of Commons, said that he did so owing/ to Sir Austen Chamberlain’s indisposition. Answering a series of questions regarding the Franco-Belgian Military Convention of 1920, he said: “The text of the notes exchanged between the French and Belgian Governments recording their reciprocal approval of the military understanding signed on September 7, 1920, the object of which was stated to be the reinforcement of the guarantees of peace and security resulting from the Covenant of the League of Nations, was registered with the League on November, 1920. I have not seen the text of the military agreement which, of course, was not made public.” Mr. Locker-Lampson said that, apart from the Treaty of Locarno, no agreement involving military commitments had been concluded since the war between Great Britain and Belgium, and no military agreement or understanding was in existence between the British General Staff and that of any foreign country. “I may add that no British Military Attache at Brussels has on any occasion even discussed the question.” - INTERVIEW WITH EDITOR OF ‘ “DAGBLAD” A CLEVER FRAUD? (Australian Press Assn.—United Service.) (Rec. February 28, 7.55 p.m.) The Hague, February 27. The editor of the “Utrechtsch Dagblad,” in the course of an interview, stated that the war pact documents are minutes of a meeting of military experts held at Brussels written on Belgian State notepaper, signed by those present, and sealed by Belgian Departmental seals. ‘