SIX DAYS’CAUCUS OF TWO GENERAL STAFFS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6849, 2 March 1929, Page 9

SIX DAYS’CAUCUS OF TWO GENERAL STAFFS

Franco-Beigian Pact DUTCH NEWSPAPER PUBLISHES MINUTES CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE. United Press Association—-By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Beceived Friday 8.40 p.ni. AMSTERDAM, March L

The Utrechtsch Dagblad, in its evening edition, published what purports to be tho complete -minutes of a conference between the Franco-Beigian general staffs from September 7th to 12th of last year, occupying a page in the original French and headed “Strictly Confidential.” The names of the participants are given as Generals Debeny, Chief of the General Staff; Bineau, Deputy Chief, and Blasier, Attache to the Brussels Embassy (all for France), Generals Gallct, Chief of the General Staff, Michem, Chief of tho Third Section, Van Den Bergen, Chief of the First Section, for Belgium. Colonel Estienne, commanding the Grenadiers in Brussels, was secretary. The first five articles of tho treaty given in the minutes are as already published, the others are a 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 the Belgians. The documents ineludo a table of Belgian mobilisation centres and bear tho signatures of Debeny and Gallct, and the endorsement: “Seen and approved by the Ministry of National defence.” (Signed) Chevalier de Broequeville. “Certified as agreed.” (Signed) Michem.

Has Lie Been Nailed? GERMAN AMBASSADORS INSTRUCTED TO PROTEST. DAGBLAD WITH PUBLIC PHOTO. Beceived Friday, 31 p.m. LONDON, March 1. The latest war pact disclosures ,from Amsterdam were received in London too late for inquiry or comment in tho press, which has hitherto refused to treat tho matter in a sensational manner and has accepted official assurances. The Berlin government has instructed its ambassadors itt Paris and Brussells to make diplomatic representations and in doing so, has yielded to the clamouf of the press and politicians. The Nationalists especially insist that tho agreement is genuine and point out that it was concluded aftcT the Locarno pact. They describe it as another bankruptcy of Dr. Stresemann’s policy of reconciliation. Tho Daily Herald’s correspondent at Amsterdam says it is understood that, if Belgian denials of the document’s authenticity are repeated, Dagblad will provide a photographic reproduction of the original.