FRANCO-RUSSIAN PACT

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 104, 4 May 1935, Page 9

FRANCO-RUSSIAN PACT

THE TREATY OF LOCARNO

AN APPEAL TO GERMANY

LONDON; May 2.

Sir Austen Chamberlain, one of the principal authors of the Treaty of Locarno, speaking during the Foreign Affairs debate in the House of, Commons, said he hoped Sir John Simon would give them a fuller revelation regarding the German mind. Did Germany want the dictated peace of Versailles substituted by a peace dictated from Berlin? (Cheers.) He protested against sending only an observer to the Rome Conference. Austrian independence was. the keypiece. If Germany had a partner in mind she would welcome it. II she thought she coula extort by her own will she would find this country in her path again. with Britain she would find all the great free Commonwealths around her, and w,ould meet a force which would again be her master. (Cheers.)

Sir John Simon, Foreign Minister, in closing the debate, denied that the Government had gone back upon the covenant of the League and had accepted regional pacts as an alternative. These were not competitive methods. The Treaty of Locarno itself was a regional pact. ■'•■.'■■ ■•■■■ Answering Sir Herbert Samuel, the Liberal Leader, Sir. John explained that if Germany attacked Russia and the treaty of mutual assistance made France assist Russia, the Locarno Treaty placed Britain under no obligation to assist Germany. ' "GERMANY HAS REACHED PAEETC," Sir John said that undoubtedly the rate of production of aeroplanes in Germany had increased much more rapidly than Britain's advisers thought likely last, autumn. Since he had seen Herr Hitler at Berlin he had ascertained that the statement "Germany has reached parity with Britain in the air" was intended to imply that Germany's firstline strength was between 800 and 850 machines. That. figure did riot include auxiliary or special' reserve units, but in Britain's case it included machines overseas. , • ■:-.-■ Sir John Simon concluded: "Germany is now helping herself to equality by unilateral action. ! We kept the door open to Germany. We did 'not engage in senseless, endless, and hopeless competition in piling up armaments, but we are bound to establish the safety of this country. We have a great work to do as mediator. As such we implore Germany to. show she is prepared to take her part, not only in word but in deed." The debate was adjourned.