POLITICS IN BELGIUM

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 131, 30 November 1936, Page 7

POLITICS IN BELGIUM

REXIST MOVEMENT

THE LEADER'S IDEAS

OPPOSITION TO COMMUNISTS

(From "The Post's" Representative.) . LONDON. November 4. M. Leon Degrelle, the young leader, of the Rexist movement in Belgium, who has declared that he will be. Prime Minister in a few months' time and will stay in power for 20 years. !■ has definite ideas concerning the I policy he would like lo see adopted; by Belgium. "The Rex wish our country to be ( well defended, on the express condi-' tion of absolute neutrality, and no' ties with anyone." M. Degrelle declared, in an interview with the representative of a London newspaper. "The Locarno Agreement and the .Franco-Belgian Treaty should be repudiated at once. The Rexist deputies have introduced a motion to that effect in the House; The motion points out that the fact that these'treaties are not yet repudiate: is in contradiction with the intentions clearly expressed by the King in his speech. We have had more than enough of all that! Unless the French break their pact with Soviet Russia ... in which case we might talk to them again, but not before." Asked whether he endorsed the view of the Flemish Nationalists, who claim immediate withdrawal from the League of Nations, M. Degrelle replied: "I am not opposed to-the League on Principle, but I feel that .nothing but foolishness has been accumulated at Geneva: Rex believes in a League of Nations formed by the regenerated countries of Europe who stand for the defence of civilisation against the Soviet. ■ • ~...'■; "Belgium knows too little about the We of other nations. It seems ludicrous that we should be in such ignorance about England when London is just about one,hour's; distance by air from Brussels.:. Rex has already estabL + lalI aIHable. contacts with important.authorities in the City of London. m^^'i**i°fv com Petent business men and financial experts who: views are_ entirely in harmony with British business yjews. Rex is : o f opin/ -.that 5.1. l lßian lranc should be af par! rate" P°und sterling, at its present! ' "We waht to live in a spirit of fraternity, with all nations. To the-e whcr are opposed to close relations with I Germany we reply that Belgium,. all I through history, has been invaded by every Continental Power, and if we were to retain ill feeling against'our I various invaders we should •- with-! out a single friend in the world. All I wfti, Wan£ is t0 feel certain that those with whom we seek relations are' moved by a wish for peace. The Nazi! regime in our opinion, is moved by that feeling towards Belgium. When' «ex comes into-power we shall'en-' Rt ay? Ur to this wish materialise. I Besides, do not forget that Adolf Hitler's Germany is a stronghold against anTo^th? We d° ™* hide from SK, « L° Ur main <*ject is to second the fight against Soviet barbarism.! FOREIGN POLICY. ! n "Th. c R. exis* Plan-covers an entirely ! new foreign poUcy,; divided into three ' Hes frL Stag P eS-,K a) Freedom °f ™' (2? 3JT neig hb°uring large Powers; wUh «m fi econ°mic a"d military ties with small countries, such as Holland Luxemburg, and, Switzerland, with a view to constituting an economic unity. 2S a", d Bel Sium have.similaS dangers a°Th a/ e f reat! ned V. similar fif™ * J^ 015810 of small Powers favoured by. Rex would greatly con-' ivtfV 0 f Verting the conflictswhfch eyeriastmgly. menace us. (3) A new' European organisation, thanks to the' wflfT/i 6? Contf nental nations, which :■ wil] lead to a strong economic, and ■ possibly -.even- to- a ■ strong -.colonial, Ji have all along regretted the ab-i surd sanctions policy. On the very' nn? k t Omes into P°wer we shall '• not be ashamed, to recognise the an- < nexa.tion of Ethiopia by a SP lrad7d country-which gives 'the Worid 9 an' example of vitality. ■ S iZ he he,fa^ fGW Coram unists in Eel. Inf'r^ * th| y a^ c stubborn and'.vio-' lent men. - Revolutions are , always' K fay» minority;. The Commun! tf«?. \l n>* minority when 'they won Russia; Mussolini had but a minority tcrrely on when he conquered itaW There are 000,000 i SociauKS Bell S 80000 i eadT are losin S hold., iuese duu.ou Socialists may becomo Communists :at- the first; opportiS*