BELGIUM’S DEFENCES

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 May 1931, Page 7

BELGIUM’S DEFENCES

FOIITS PREFERRED TO PACT. [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] (Recd. May 8, 9 a.m.) LONDON, May 7. In the course of a speech at Brussels, the Minister of Defence (M. Brocqueville) said that notwithstanding the Locarno Pact guarantees, the Government had decided to construct a line of forts on the front of the present line at a cost of £2,270,000, with a further £1,107,000 on heavy artillery. NAVAL LIMITATIONS [OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, May 7. British, French and Italian naval experts met at the Foreign Office and exchanged views on the position of the naval problem as it stands, aftei the receipt of the Italian and British replies to the French memorandum of April 20. The correspondence on the subjec 1 brings out clearly the earnest desire of the three governments to overcome the present difficulty by direct discussion on this subject between the Foreign Ministers of the three countries. French and Italian experts will leave shortly for Geneva. DISARMAMENT EFFORTS Mr. MacDonald presided and leaders of the Conservative and Liberal Parties were present at a further meeting of the sub-Committee for Imperial Defence, which is considering the arrangements for the general disarmament conference to be held next year.