ITALIAN PROPOSALS AWAITED

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 159, 31 March 1939, Page 11

ITALIAN PROPOSALS AWAITED

Statement By M. Daladier

FRANCE FAITHFUL TO HER ENGAGEMENTS

No Yielding Of Territory Or Rights

(By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright.)

PARIS, March 29.

“France awaits the Italian proposals,” was the effect of the broadcast by the Premier, M. Daladier, in reply to Signor Mussolini’s statement of the problem between Italy and France. M. Daladier recalled the Note received from Count Ciano, the Italian Foreign Minister, on December 17, stating that he did not consider the 1935 agreement valid, and also the speech by Signor Mussolini on March 26 declaring that the Note of December 17 set out clearly the Italian problems as Tunisia, Jibuti and the Suez Canal.

“I affirm that the Note of December 17 did not contain any precise points,” he said. “Its essential argument was that the conquest of Ethiopia and the formation of the Italian Empire had created new rights in favour of Italy. I need not say that we cannot accept this argument. It would mean that each new conquest would create new claims without limit.”

M. Daladier announced his intention of publishing the Italian Note on March 30, together with the French reply given several days after its receipt. He declared that France remained faithful to her engagements. “France does not refuse to examine proposals which may be made to her,” he said, in reiterating that the claims remain unspecified. “No one could argue that they have been presented by newspaper articles or stree’t cries.” M. Daladier said that France wanted peace, but if war was imposed or became the alternative between freedom and dishonour the whole nation would arise to defend its liberty.

He had sought full powers because it was necessary to take rapidlv and silentlv exceptional measures for the defence of the country. France had listened calmly to noisy claims because she knew that negotiations could only reveal that she was in the right. France’s position had been made clear. “We will not cede an inch of territory nor a single one of our rights,” he declared. M. Daladier described charges of ill-treatment of Italians in Tunisia as inventions, and referred to 900,000 Italians living in France who had not complained. Referring to Munich, he said that France had not ceased to show- evidence of goodwill toward German, but consequent on events in Czechoslovakia she had been dealt a very severe blow. Her persistent efforts none could deny. War would be a catastrophe for all nations. “In the name of France,” he proceeded, “I invite the collaboration of all Powers which, like ourselves, are ready to collaborate for the maintenance of peace, but who would rise against aggression with one bound. I know that these words find a brotherly echo in the hearts of friendly nations in Europe and across the Channel, even across the Atlantic.”