FRANCE AND ITALY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 3 September 1935, Page 5

FRANCE AND ITALY

MILITARY COOPERATION , BASIS OF CONVERSATIONS (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) BOLZANO, Ist August. Mr Temperley, the “Daily Telegraph’s’’ military writer, says there is no doubt that Franco-ltalian military conversations are proceeding on the basis of military co-operation. An Italian journal published in Sydney commented as follows last January: “The eyes of the whole world have been turned, during last week, on Rome, and the whole world has followed with tlie keenest interest the meeting between Mussolini and 31. Laval. Although the meeting had been arranged with the view of arriving at a settlement of some of the outstanding differences between the two Latin countries, yet it was felt, in Europe and in America as well, that the outcome of the conversations between II Duce and Laval might have, been of such momentous importance as to mark a definite turning in the History of Europe. Tile expectation has not been deluded. All the ‘most thorny questions which have marred the relations between Italy .and France for the last half century have been satisfactorily settled; settled, and this is important, with’: a practical sense of the reality; settled-in the clearest manner, without subterfuge, and in such a way that every side is able to carry on their share of the bargain without feeling that they are making a sacrifice. A section of the local press and some speakers on broadcasting stations'have described the Italo-French pact as a triumph for M. Laval. A few have haded at the triumph of Mussolini.-We have already expressed our view on the subject. We mav add that it seems to us strange to talk of a triumph of the French diplomacy at a' moment when France accepts the bulk of tlie Italian territorial aims in North Africa, when France adheres fully and without reser- . vation to the Italian point of view in European questionsIn our opinion every talk of national triumph should he put aside. It would serve no purpose and would .tend to create a false atmosphere.' The merit of the agreement consists essentially in having wiped away the false atmosphere which was surrounding the relations between Italy and France. What has: triumphed is commonsense; is goodwill ”