LONDON TALKS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 112, 5 February 1935, Page 9

LONDON TALKS

(Complete Anglo-French Agreement (COMMUNIQUE ISSUED Suggested Pact Against Aerial Aggression INVITATION TO POWERS (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, February 2. The Anglo-French Ministerial conversations, which have been proceeding in London since Friday, concluded this evening. The important issues arising out of the talks were considered yesterday morning at a special meeting of Cabinet, and the conversations were resumed later the same day. It was nearly midnight before that session gf the talks ended, but a complete agreement on all essetnial matters had been reached when the Anglo-French Ministers separated. The purpose of a further meeting held this afternoon was to give approval to the final form of the communique, which was later issued in the following terms: “The object of the meeting between the British and French Ministers, ■which has been taking place in London, was to promdte the peace of the world by closer co-operation in the spirit of most friendly confidence, and to remove those tendencies which, if unchecked, are calculated to lead to a race in armaments and to increase the dangers of war. “With this object in view the British and French Ministers proceeded to the examination of the general situation. They took note of the particularly important part played by the League of Nations in recent settlements of certain international problems, and welcomed the successful results as evidence of the conciliatory spirit of all Governments taking part in those settlements. They declare their determination to pursue, both as regards the problems of their own countries and of the League, policies guided by the same methods of conciliation and co-opera-tion. Rome Agreement Welcomed. “With reference to the Franco-Italian agreements recently reached in Rome, the British Ministers, on behalf of his Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom, cordially welcomed the declaration by which the French and Italian Governments have asserted their intention to develop the traditional friendship which unites those two nations, and associated his Majesty’s Government with the intention of the French and Jtalian Governments to collaborate in the spirit of mutual trust in the maintenance of general peace. The British Ministers expressed the congratulations of his Majesty’s Government at the conclusion of the Rome agreement regarding Central Europe, and made it clear that as a consequence of the declarations made by his Majesty’s Government, in conjunction with the French and Italian Governments on February 17 and September 27 last, bls Majesty’s Government considers itself to be among., the Powers which will, as provided in the Rome agreements, consult together, if the independence and integrity of* Austria are menaced. “The British-and French Ministers' hope that the encouraging progress thus achieved may now be continued by means of the direct and effective co-operation of Germany. They are agreed that neither Germany nor any other Power whose armaments have been defined by the Peace Treaties is entitled by unilateral action to modify these obligations. But they are further agreed that nothing would contribute more to a restoration of confidence and the prospects of ’ peace among nations than a general settlement freely negotiated between Germany and the other Powers. This general settlement would make provision for the organisation of security in. Europe; particularly by means of the conclusion of pacts, freely negotiated between all the interested parties and ensuring mutual assistance in Eastern Europe and the system foreshadowed in Rome, a process verbal for Central Europe. Simultaneously and in conformity with the terms of declaration of December 11, 1932, regarding equality of rights in the system of security this settlement would establish agreements regarding armaments generally, which, in the case of Germany, would replace the provisions of part 5 of the Treaty of Versailles at present limiting the arms and armed forces of Germany. “It -would also be part of a general settlement that Germany should resume her place in the League of Nations with a view to active membership. The French Government and the Government of the United Kingdom trust that the other Governments concerned may share these views. Suggested Air Convention. “In the course of these meetings the British and French Ministers have been impressed by the special dangers to peace' created by modern developments in the air, the misuse of which might lead to sudden aerial aggression by one country upon another, and have given consideration to the possibility of a provision being made against these dangers by a reciprocal regional agreement between certain Powers. It is suggested that the signatories would undertake Immediately to give the assistance of their air forces to whichever of them might be the victim of an unprovoked aerial aggression by one of the contracting parties. “The British and French Ministers, on behalf of their respective Governments, found themselves in agreement that mutual arrangement of this kind for Western Europe would go far to operate as a deterrent to aggression and to ensure immunity from sudden attacks from the air, and they resolved to invite Italy, Germany and Belgium to consider with them whether such a convention might not be promptly negotiated. “They earnestly desire that all countries concerned should appreciate that the object of this proposal is to reinforce peace—the sole Jaim pursued by the two Governments. The Governments of France and of . tho United Kingdom declare themselves ready to resume their consultations without delay after having received replies of other interested Powers.”