GESTURE TO GERMANY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 47, 26 January 1937, Page 10

GESTURE TO GERMANY.

PORTUGUESE POLICY. The official German Gazette publishes the text of an agreement between Germany and Portugal, under which Portugal renounced the rights accorded to her by the V ersailles Treaty to confiscate German property within home or colonial territory. The agreement was signed at Lisbon on June 29 last and came into force on an exchange- of ratifications, on December 18. It is in pursuance oi the Hague Agreement of 1930, under which the Versailles Powers undertook not to exercise tlieir rights of confiscation of the goods, rights and interests of German nationals and companies which had not been liquidated before September 1, 1929. , It was stipulated that this understanding should be subject to special agreements between Germany and each of the other Governments. The Berlin correspondent of the London Times says that the German Press does not give particular prominence to the agreement, but says that there is no reason to doubt that it gives great satisfaction as clearing away difficulties which stood in the way oi close and, it is hoped, profitable relations with Portugal and her colonies. (The correspondent adds: Berlin sees in the Spanish war a deflection ol Portguese policy from Britain and towards Germany.” The guarantors of Portugal to-day, says a writer in the organ of the Hitler Youth Movement, are General Franco, Italy and Germany. Portugal has thrown off her fetters —that is her connection with Britain. The new independence of Portugal means that she can open up her colonies for exploitation by anvono who is an honourable friend’of the Portuguese State ami recognises Portugal’s equality of rights which Britain for hundreds of years has failed to do.