A MOMENTOUS WEEK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 15 June 1925, Page 5

A MOMENTOUS WEEK

IN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS

LONDON, June 16. Ilus week promises to he momentous m Kuropoan affairs. Tho French reply will he despatched to Berlin, after wlM.h ,( will he 'published in all parts LL ll|(i world. Thereupon we may expect

a flood of now comment to be released, including Gorman opinion, which has lieeu strangely silent except, fur the first, outburst based upon an inaccurate forecast. The most- reliable information js that the French reply will he suave in tone and will deal mainly in generalities. *

The chief point will he the acceptance of the Gorman proposition. The next step will he the German Government's reaffirmation of a desire to negotiate a pact, followed by a conference to arrange details and draw it]) the terms of the pact. It is expected that Mr Chamberlain will return from Switzerland where he is i'olidiyyinir, on Wednesday, and the Mouse of Commons will debate the reply on Thursday, or at any rate as soon as' possible after the Note is published. .sir bin Hamilton, speaking at South Norwood, said: "We realise the camouflage of the words like “pact,” "protocol." ‘'defence” ami ‘'security.' If you bo-il them down you will find at tbe bottom of the saucepan an obligation to fight which would be hung round the necks of our youngsters, l)on’t let us tight in another man’s quarrel. If wo fight let it be our own war, agreed to bv those .about to die.”

The Sunday Kxprcss says that the astounding feature about the proposed pact is that it would pledge our blood and treasure to the French policy without a settlement of the French debt. Mr Garvon in a. lengthy article on the proposed pact, says that nothing on earth would induce the British democracy to mobilise unless previous consultation had been adequate and the action of France understood and approved by the decisive weight of British public opinion. We hope that friends across the Channel will never forget this condition.

BELGIAN APPROVAL OF NOTE

BRUSSELS ,June 13

The Government has approved of the terms of the French Note to Germany in connection with the security pact.