PACT PARLEY

Northern Advocate, 14 July 1925, Page 5

PACT PARLEY

THOROUGH ANALYSIS

STEPS TOWARDS TINALITY.

MUTUAL GUARANTEES.

(Received 9 a.m.)

LONDON, August 12

It is learned, that five hours' conversations b.<?t w o eil M, Briand and, : Mr. Austen Chamberlaiq, yesterday resulted in substantial progress towards the removal of a few points in dispute.

. The question of Anglo-French debts has not so far been- mentioned, and .nothing ;is likely to be done ii* this connection at present,; in view of M. Caillaux'a expressed intention to come to London personally soon in order to make a "gentleman's offer" to settle the question. A French communique regarding the conversations says that complete accord has b«en reached on the terms of the answer to be made by the French. Government in its agreement with the Allies to the last German Note concerning treaties of mutual guarantee and arbitration. Th 6 conversations furnished an occasion for 1 an exchange of views on the subject of the project of the security pact. Such a pact cannot take definite form until conversations have taken place on the subject between the representatives of all the interested parties. The conversations in London have largely contributed to hastening the time of the eventual conversations which will permit a definite final result.—A. and N.Z.

M. BRIAND'S REPLY,

DETAILED EXAMINATION.

PROSPECTS DISCOUNTED

9 a.m.)

LONDON. August 12,

A remarkable circumstantial account of the conversations between Britain and France is given this morning in the "Daily Telegraph" by its diplomatic correspondent. He states that M. Briand's draft reply to Germany was examined senteQce by sentence.

Mr. Chamberlain, and his lieutenants were decidedly pleased with the general tenor of the document, which was short, conciliatory and calculated to terminate the era ( of. formal memoranda,. It was inevitable that certain remarks which werg contained in the German Note should be rebutted,, such as the possibility -of coercive sanctions, and the possibility of modifications in the occupation regime.

In regard to the outstanding points, I namely, treaty revision, arbitration ~ treaties -between Germany and her eastern neighbours, and independent .'sanetions, these, says the correspondent, were touched upon rather discussed. The idea was that could more appropriately ;.be thrashed.' out at j a conference, between'.'German and Al- j lied Ministers, or at. a full interna-] tional conference after the Assembly of the League of Nations.

French circles, however, last night discounted the idea of a meeting between Herr Stresemann, German Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Allied statesmen at Geneva, or the idea of Germany's admission to the League in September.

The correspondent proceeds to discuss the tentative draft pact which M. Briand submitted to Mr. Chamberlain. He says: "Its underlying conception recalls the Belgian Neutrality Treaty of 1839 and the Luxembourg Neutrality Treaty of 1867.

'' There is a lengthy preamble, in the course of which Britain, France, Belgium and Germany solemnly , declare they each, will, for, the sake of European peace, respect the existing frontiers of the others. -

"The chief section relates to circumstances in which the guarantees would operate. The French would like to establish a series of flagrant cases in which the guarantees would operate, as it were, automatically, whereas the British Government wishes to reserve the right to intervene only in such a flagrant case as an armed invasion by either side, and also to reserve the right to judge whether a case is flagrant or not.

"There is also the question whether, in any decision involving war, a specific prior reference will be made to the British Parliament and to the Governments of the Dominions.

'' The draft pact and arbitration treaties were frequently referred to yesterday, but no .decisions were made. Divergences of opinion are still substantial." -

The. correspon4ent expresses the opinion that onee an agreement lias been clinched as regards the reply to be sent to Germany, other documents will be discussed, but, most probably, they will only be fully debated at a

later stage. —A. and N.Z