EUROPEAN SITUATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 847, 26 October 1923, Page 5

EUROPEAN SITUATION.

STRAIGHT TALK TO FRANCE. IMPORTANCE OP SPEECH BY . GENERAL SMUTS. By' Electric Telegraph-Copyright. , LONDON, Ott. 24. ThO newspapers attach groat importance to General Smuts’s speech on the European situation, which is described as 4 straight talk to France. J . , , The Evening Standard’s diplomatic correspondent declares that the Baldwin Cabinet and the conference Were fully aware of the‘views General Smuts proposed to set forth. He points, out that General Smuts enunciated liis Vipws 111 fullest detail before the Imperial Conference, following ou Lord Curzon’s statement on foreign affairs, It is not assumed that the speech will displease Franco or M, Poincare. It is known that events in the Rhineland have not developed as M Poincare had anticipated, which might distinctly affect his view on the proposed conference. Important negotiations t recently wore in progress between Britain | and the Allies, aiming at the assembling of a conference of treaty signatories, and nothing so far haft occurred,to hinder the negotiations. The general idea is to assemble the conference in Paris in December if possible, before the Dominion Premiers leave. The intention is to deal with the reparations and inter-AHied debts apart from the Reparations Commission and the League of Nations, but technical and financial experts and accredited German representatives will be in attendance. Authoritative quarters are surprised that { General Smnts’s declaration should be made on the eve of Mr. Baldwin’s pronouncement at Plymouth tomorrow, but it is believed that Mr. Baldwin knew what General Smuts intended to Say. . The Daily Express states: “General Smuts is back to the policy o£ the British Note of August 11, which favoured holding a conference of Powers, including' the United States. He really advocates the independent action suggested by Lord Citon’s Note, that is, to seize the load in Europe, whether France likes it of not. The objection to this course is that British opinion is hopelessly divided on the question of acting independently of Franco or coercing her to adopt our standpoint,” The Express expresses the opinion that Britain has not the power to prevent Europe, under Franco’s guidance, from marching to moral and economic suicide. She,, howovdr, is mistress of her own destinies, and not obliged to join the "Suicide Cliib.” LEAD THE WORLD HAS AWAITED. The League of World Friendship has sent a message to General Smuts : “God speed you. This is the lead England and the world has awaited.” The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent says: “General Smuts’s speech caused a profound sensation in diplomatic circles. Its significance is heightened by the simultaneous utterance of the American Ambassador. That simultaneously was not a coincidence, but the outcome of joint and careful consideration, which explains the prominence given to General Smuts’s declaration by the American press. Colonel Harvey's reiteration, on behalf of President Coolidge, of a conditional offer of co-operation synchronises with the renewed attempt by Britain to secure France’s assent to the appointment of a commission of exports, with an American chairman, to consider the reparations. These are the negotiations that General Smuts alluded to. They are now in progress, but are not shaping Well, M. Poincare declining to commit himself and raising all sorts of difficulties. General Smilts’s proposal for a wider international conference has not yet led to formal negotiations, but a meeting of Allied Premiers has been informally broached by Belgium, and M. Poincare is even less likely to be drawn into this conference than the sanctioning • of the appointment of an expert commission. M. Poincare contends that the reparation issues can be dealt with by the Reparations Commission and no revision of the Gorman debt can bo effected except by the unanimous agreement of the Governments concerned. He will not sanction a deduction, except within the limits he had previously laid down. The conference which General Smuts proposes would comprehensively revise and resettle the original peace terms, and the original treaty would lapse.” The Morning Post states that General Smuts’s allusion to an international conference was based on the fact that the British Government some days ago addressed to the Versoilles Treaty signatories a series of despatches, suggesting that the time had arrived when the United States might be asked to confer on the subject of the reparations and cognate matters. The Post understands that no replies have yet been received,—A. and N.Z. cable. GRAPPLING WITH DIFFICULTIES. WHAT ENGLAND IS DOING. LONDONj, Oct. 23. Colonel Harvey, the retiring United States Ambassador, in addressing. the Pilgrims’ Club, referred to the tremen-‘ dous growth of friendship in the United States_ for Britain. In alluding to the Imperial Conference, ho said that since the Council of Empire had been broadened a famous phrase had disappeared entirely. Nobody now rested comfortably upon tho assumption that England would “muddle through” somehow-. Her present disposition wais to grapple with difficult problems promptly, energetically, determnedly and to leave as Ittlo as possible to chance. This change of attitude was fuller of promise and hope for Britain and Britishers than any other Which had Occurred in the past war Colonel Harvey referred to the period of his ambassadorship with special reference to the Washington Conference. If that had not happened, he said, there would still be hovering over the world, in addition to the troubles now besotting; it, the clouds of the Anglo-Japanese alliance, having served its original purpose, had become an actual menace to the peace of tho three great nations. Clouds of constant, ever-increasing peril and possible, even though accidental, clashes hovered over tho Pacific, and these clouds were multiplying from the necessity, of selfprotection of naval armaments, to a degree never before imagined. Colonel Harvey emphasised solemnly and emphatically the implication contained in Ins enunciation of the Monroe doctrine. “There will bo no participation by the United Stales in the political broils of Europe. This firing part of the doctrine is confronting us to-day The Monroe doctrine is still the cornerstone of tho United States policy. It is unchanged. and unchangeable by any President or any Congress; implanted’ in the Will of the American people. Even months ago, _ Mr. Secretary Hughes offered to provide American adjudication on reparations. America camo to tho door of Europe, but tho door was closed.. We were willing to como in, but surely were not expected jto smash tho door in. The Monroe doctrine fofbids It.”. Colonel Harvey proceeded' to state that ho was moved ‘by the presence of Mr. Bruce to make the compliments of a former colony to the Empire's splendid Dominions, Ho said that compared with the representatives of 1921. When Colonel Harvey arrived, with to-day’s, delegation, they appeared more, confident of their footing. Experience had apparently made them not more independent, but really more English, enabling them to express' their needs in the attractive alliteration, men, money, markets. Mr. Bruce, in proposing the chairman's health, received an ovation, both at the commencement ■ and at the conclusion of his speech. Ho paid a tribute to the United States’ amazing courage and almost appalling- initiative in calling together the Washington Conference, to which Australia had paid a graceful tribute. It was tho only compensation for the denunciation of the treaty with “our courageous ahd over faithfatl ally, Japan,”, Amid laughter, and cheers, Mr. Bruce reminded Mr Baldwin . tljat the latter had received his inspiration about tho debt settlement from Australia, which Wfts the first to fund her debt. His only regret was that he did not get as good’ terms from Britain as-Britain got from America. It was his obvious duty to submit that Britain would not ba acting

ungenerously if she granted _ Australia terms similar to those she received from America— A. and N.Z, cable, SUPPORT FOR COLONEL HARVEY. WASHINGTON, Oct. 24. President Coolidgo has intimated that Colonel Harvey’s speech in London reflected the Administration’s attitude completely and the President’s friends stated that Colonel Harvey might even have used stronger to express his view regarding the maintenance of large armies. The American people and the ! Government are not going to lot Governments abroad spend huge sums for armaments at America’s expense. Reiteration was made of the futility of expecting the United States to enter into any arrangement for the settlement of European affairs involving the cancellation of European debts to the' .United States. The Government furthermore believes European troubles cannot bo solved until the reparations problem is definitely settled.-* A. and N.Z. cable, REPARATIONS QUESTION. NEW METHOD SUGGESTED. Received October 26, 9.20 a.m. WASHINGTON,- Oct. 25. The United States has despatched a Note to Britain concerning the reparations. It is u 'Kicfstoiki that it suggests a new method of todvleuient.—A. aud N.Z. cable.