FRANCE SEEKS BRITISH AID ASSURANCE

Northern Advocate, 7 March 1936, Page 5

FRANCE SEEKS BRITISH AID ASSURANCE

IN EVENT OF AGRESSION BY GERMANY

SEQUEL IB ITALY’S OIL SANCTUM THREATS

(Received 10 a.m.)

LONDON, March 6,

rrHE BRITISH CABINET. YESTERA DAY CONSIDERED THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT’S REQUEST FOR AN ASSURANCE OF IMMEDIATE BRITISH SUPPORT IN THE EVENT OF GERMAN AGGRESSION, EVEN IF ITALY SHOULD REPUDIATE LOCARNO.

The Paris correspondent of “The Times” says the British reply to the French request is regarded as no less vital than the Italian response to the Committee of Thirteen. French Contention. France contends that, as the Locarno Treaty can be annulled only by the League, Italy’s . defection could not weaken Britain’s obligations under it. Moreover, France is convinced that if Britain were to construe an Italian repudiation of Locarno as in any way modifying her own engagements, Germany would instantly claim that she was no longer bound by the provisions of that treaty, especially the one relating to the demilitarised Rhineland zone.

According to the “News Chronicle” no final decision was reached. The political correspondent of “The Times” states that Mr Eden’s reports to the Cabinet confirmed the reports that Signor Mussolini had indicated that an oil embargo would be met by counter-measures on the part of Italy.

The correspondent says that France asks for (compensatory assurances to balance the retaliatory actions Italy has threatened to take should an oil embargo become necessary. France also has warned Signor Mussolini that she will be forced to support an oil embargo if he rejects the Geneva appeal.

What is undoubtedly exercising French opinion, says the correspondent, is the rapidity with which British support would be given against flagrant German aggression. The development of the Abyssinian dispute is held to prove the League’s inability to act quickly enough to produce adequate support in the first few critical days of a war.

Peace Proposal. . Interviewed by the Paris newspaper, “Excelsior,” Signor Mussolini declared that the storm cloud at Geneva was very grave. “I hope the crisis will not destroy FrancoItalian friendship, which is necessary to world peace. I will do my utmost to prevent this,” remarked II Duce.

The Abystinian Embassy has received for transmission to the League, Haile Selassie’s message accepting the invitation to peace negotiations. The Abyssinian, Wolde Mariam, declares that the Emperor, in the event of peace negotiations, will not agree to the territorial cessions that the Italians expect. He adds that the Abyssinians are by no means defeated. If they were the Italians would be prevented by rocky fortresses from reaching Addis Ababa. The populace is determined to keep out the invader, and their hope remains in the Geneva Powers if the negotiations fail.

A British Official Wireless message says the result of the appeal addressed by the League of Nations to both belligerents in the Italo-Abyssinia dispute is waited with much interest in Britain, where the two 7 fold function of the League in dealing with the dispute are fully appreciated. Although the work of the Committee of Eighteen, appointed by the larger Coordination Committee of the League for the organisation of sanctions, is proceeding at Geneva through expert sub-committees, attention for the present is directed to the result of the renewed efforts at conciliation initiated on March 3 by members of the Council sitting, within the parties to the dispute, as the Committee of Thirteen.