WAR PACT STORY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 79, 2 March 1929, Page 9

WAR PACT STORY

DUTCH PAPER’S “REVELATIONS’' A COMPLETE FORGERY. BELGIAN OFFICIAL STATEMENT. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Australian Press Association.—United Service.) AMSTERDAM, March 1.. The Utrechtsche Dagblad, in its evening edition, publishes what purports to be the complete minutes of a conference between the French and Belgian general staffs which was held from July 6 to July 12 of last year. The names of the participants are given as Generals Debeny (Chief of the General Staff), Bineau (DeputyChief), and Blasier (Attache to the Brussels Embassy), all for France; and Generate Gallet (Chief of the General Staff), Michem (Chief of the Third Section), and Van den Bergen (Chief of the First Scctiop), for Belgium. Colonel Estienne, commanding the Grenadiers at Brussels, was secretary. The first five articles of the treaty given in the minutes are as already published; tire others are secret. General Michem is alleged to have envisaged the aid of British troops, which suggestion General Debeny proposed to include in the draft report to the King of tho Belgians. . The documents include a table of the Belgian mobilisation centres, and bear the signatures of Generals Debeny and Gallet, and the endorsement: “Seen and approved by the Ministry of National Defence, Chevalier de Brocqueville. Certified as agreed.—Michem.”

“DRIVELLING. INSULTING CAMPAIGN.” M. JASPAR’S CRITICISM. (Australian Press Association.—United Serviced Received March 2, 11.5 a.m. BRUSSELS, March 1. Official circles declare that the Dagblad’s “revelations” are a complete forgery. The Premier, M. Jaspar, stated last night that his heart had been rent by a drivelling, insulting campaign, whicti had been carried on in an effort to dishonour Belgium. . This was a thing they would never permit. DUTCH PAPER’S THREAT. (Australian Press Association.) LONDON, March 1. The Daily Herald’s correspondent at Amsterdam states that it is understood that if the Belgian denials of authenticity are repeated, the Dagblad will provide a photographic reproduction of. the original minutes. GERMANY EXCITED. (Australian Press Association.) BERLIN, March 1. The Government have instructed their Ambassadors at Paris and Brussels to make diplomatic representations, and in doing so have yielded to the clamour 'of the Press and politicians. The Nationalists especially insist that the agreement is genuine and point out that it was concluded after Locarno. They describe it as .another bankruptcy of Dr. Stresemann’s policy of reconciliation.