PACT PROPOSALS

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 24 July 1925, Page 5

PACT PROPOSALS

NEGOTIATIONS WITH GERMANY. FRENCH PESSIMISTIC. WHAT BRITAIN IS DOING. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION-- COPYRIGHT, LONDON, July 22. The diplomatic correspondent of. the Daily Herald (the Labour paper) states that though the British. Government regrets that the German Note has been modified at the Nationalists’ behest, these etiffenings are not taken too seriously, for a bargain has already been struck with Berlin. German industry will not risk losing the British loan for a punctilio. British diplomacy, adds the Herald, is now trying to reconcile Germany and France, hut the latter is bound to consider Czecho-Slovakia and Poland. These two countries are very suspicious and are confident that Germany, in return for signing the pact, obtained an undertaking from Mr Austen Chamberlain (Minister for Foreign Affairs) promising both a loan and British support for the German claim to revise the Polish frontier. The Paris correspondent of the Daily Herald says that Quai D’Or say is convinced that Germany is in reality acting upon British initiative. While British official opinion regarding the German reply remains one of svatchful hopefulness, the French have become pessimistic. It is reported. that now that M. Briand (French Foreign Minister) has studied the reply he has come to the conclusion that if the German reservations are maintained there will be little chance of a successful issue, to the negotiations. The Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says the French interpretations’ of the reply can be summed up in the sentence: Germany is out to revise the Peace Treaty.

The question is being raised in London as to whether Britain should continue to watch the Franco-German negotiations or fully participate therein. The more cautious policy will probaUv prevail yet awhile. The Times, commenting on the German reply, says: “It is necessary to state once again that, while it is in the British interest that arbitration should cover all disputes and that every precaution must be taken to prevent hasty or arbitrary coercive action, the final decision whether Bi’itain will or will not take part in coercive measures must be left exculsively in British hands.”