FRANCE AND ITALY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 119, 15 November 1929, Page 11

FRANCE AND ITALY

PARITY IN MEDITERRANEAN

BRITAIN AS GUARANTOR

LONDON, 14th November. ■ There has been a revival lately of the suggestion for a so-called Mediterranean Locarno, on the basis of which France and Italy might be induced to accept naval parity in the Mediterranean on an undertaking by Britain to guarantee either of those Powers against aggression from the other.

The "Daily Herald's" Geneva correspondent states that Sir Erie Drummond (Secretary-General of the League of Nations) is going to London to see Mr. Henderson, the Foreign Secretary, for special purposes, the implication being that the idea is Sir ' Brie Drummond's own.

The "Daily Telegraph's" diplomatic correspondent says the idea has previously been mooted in varying forms, but in any case it is one the British Government will not countenance for a moment, because its main concern is to keep free from war commitments.

The "Morning Post's" naval correspondent classes the report as part of a considerable amount of kite-flying in view of the Naval Conference.

The "Daily Herald's" Paris correspondent takes up the subject. Ho says that M. Briand's view is that Britain has, already, discovered the criterion by which she can measure her needs in the direction of security. France must now attempt to discover a similar criterion. Any external guarantee would play a valuable j»rt in the discussion of Mediterranean parity. #