FRENCH DEFENCES

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 June 1934, Page 7

FRENCH DEFENCES

NEW "MAGINOT LINE” ANTI-AERIAL PRECAUTIONS I [BY CABLE PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] (Heed. June 11, 1 p.m.) PARIS, June 10. s The Finance Commission of the L’ Chamber passed a Bill involving i £25,000,000 sterling for national defence, of which £10,000,000 is intendl ed for the completion of frontier defences, planned in 1928, and known as the Maginot line, which has already cost £27,536,000. The defences consist of three lines of bomb-proof establishments, connected by hidden strategic, tunnels, and protected by long-range guns. It would be necessary for ten big shells to fall on the same spot, to demolish even a small turret containing machine guns. 'The Government. Bill was tabled. It contains the most, drastic and farreaching legislation any country has yet proposed for organising its defences against aerial attacks. The Bill makes compulsory the construction of any works the authorities decree, and lays down the principle that the cost must be met by those who will benefit from the protection. The State will only participate in exceptional cases where “passive defence” alone cannot be adequately as- J sured by the contribution of public I money and industrial commercial undertakings. Contributions will be 1 collected by taxation. The State is 1 empowered to advance money where 1 necessary, and .recover it through the income-tax officials. Obstruction and ' disobedience will be punished by im- ? prisonment and line. 1

> ITALY’S BATTLESHIPS. ROME, June 10. Italy is building two new battleships, each of 35,000 tons, thus fully utilising the batleship tonnage allowed to Italy under the Washington Treaty. A comunique says that the decision to build the largest units permissible is due to the need for meeting the offensive Powers’ latest battleships. DELEGATES GO HOME. RUGBY, June 9. Mr Eden left Geneva last night, at the conclusion of the meeting of the General Commission of the Disarmament Conference, at which a compromised resolution, ensuring the continuance of the work of the Conference, and offering Germany the opportunity to return to Geneva, had been carried. M. Barthou also left, for Paris. HITLER TO VISIT ITALY. GENEVA, June 9. Signor Mussolini sent a message to M. Barthou, stating that he was expecting Chancellor Hitler at Venice next week, and asking if M. Barthou would care to visit Italy before or after Herr Hitler's visit. It is understood that M. Barthou has replied exasively.

LITTLE ENTENTE AND RUSSIA (Recd. June 11, 9 a.m.) PRAGUE, June 10. The Little Entente is taking steps to recognise Russia.- The Czecho-Slo-vakian Foreign Ministry published letters exchanged between M. Litvinoff and M. Benes, establishing normal relations, and arranging for the re-ap-pointment of Ministers plenipotentiary. Roumania exchanged similar letters. Yugo-slavia finally decided after the Foreign Minister’s return irom Paris. U.S.A. AND JAPAN. (Received June 11, 10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, June 10. White House intimates that Mr Roosevelt held a preliminary talk witli the Japanese Ambassador, possibly to arrange a meeting between the President and leading Japanese statesmen, at Honolulu, in August, at a great conference, to cement United States-Japanese relations and to obliterate war talk.