MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 10 September 1937, Page 5

MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE

GERMANY AND ITALY REFUSE TO ATTEND IDENTICAL NOTES SENT TO LONDON NON-INTERVENTION COMMITTEE SUGGESTED TO DEAL WITH ISSUE ENGLAND AND FRANCE EXPECTED TO ACT ALONE iilrilril Prepi' AhhocUiUum liy Electrip Telegraph —Copyright] (Received I Oth September, 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, 9th September. I he German reply regarding the Mediterranean Conference was handed to the British Charge d’Affaires. It declares its willingness to co-operate, but declines to attend the special conference in view of the Soviet’s provocation to Italy. It adds that Germany, in order to show goodwill, proposes, in agreement with Italy, that the Non-Intervention Committee in London deal with the problem, especially as other interested Powers who have not received an invitation to the special conference, would then be enabled to participate. BERLIN, 9th September. Ihe German reply recalls that when Germany took a similar initiative for joint action as the result of the Deutschland and Leipzig incidents, the altitude of England and France hardly encouraged confidence in new collective agreements now. Italy’s reply was almost identical with Germany’s, revealing intimate co-operation between Rome and Berlin. SOVIET NOTE DETERMINING FACTOR I he Italian reply states that Italy was preparing to reply affirmatively to the British proposal when a new factor, the Russian Note, arose. The accusation was firmly rejected, and this changed the state of Italy’s mind towards the conference, and she must postpone an affirmative decision until the incident created by the dispatch of the Soviet Notes is satisfactorily settled. Italy also makes reservations regarding the invitation of Russia to the conference. The Note then goes on in similar terms to the German Note to suggest that the Non-Intervention Committee examine the problem.

TO BE HELD AS ARRANGED

FORBIDDEN ZONE FOR SUBMARINES REINFORCEMENT OF FRENCH NAVAL UNITS (Received 10th September, 9.40 a.m.) PARIS, Oth September. France conferred with Britain after receiving' the replies and decided that the conference open as arranged. It is expected that England and Fny.icc will determine the zone forbidden to submarines and take bilateral measures to ensure that the rule is respected. The fifth torpedo boat division was ordered to reinforce the French naval units in the Mediterranean.

MIDNIGHT CABINET MEETING

GERMAN ATTITUDE TO lIUSSIA IN EVENT OF RUPTURE WITH ITALY NUREMBERG, 9th September. Herr Hitler held a midnight meeting of members of the Cabinet and experts to consider the attitude toward Russia in the event of a rupture between Italy and Russia, which is now considered most likely. The German and Italian notes dispatched to London yesterday night were identical.

“IMPUDENT MANOEUVRES”

RUSSIAN NOTES DENOUNCED NON-INTERVENTION COMMITTEE SHOULD DISCUSS ISSUE ROME. 9th September. “Italy Will Not Go To Nyon.” is the flaming headline across the front page of the newspaper “Popolo d’ltalia." An accompanying article denounces the Russian notes as impudent manoeuvres and condemns the barbaric, intolerable, intrusion of Moscow in the Mediterranean. It adds that Italy, although she has no illusions as to the miraculous value of international conferences, did not refuse collaboration until the sudden and insincere action of Russia, whom Britain had long and constantly in the past refused the right to interfere in the Mediterranean. Italy now believes that the discussion is best left to the Non-Intervention Committee. Count Ciano, the Foreign Minister, will make constructive counter-pro-posals.

PURPOSE OF MEETING SEVERELY PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL PROLONGED DISCUSSIONS NOT EXPECTED [British Ollicial IVjreltssl (Received 1 Oth Sentember. 12.92 p.m.) RUGBY, 9th September. Sir Robert Vnnsittarl. Permanent Un-der-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, left London this morning by train for Geneva to attend the Mediterranean Piracy Conference Mr Eden, Foreign Secretary, flew to Paris this afternoon. This evening he met M. Delbos i Foreign Minister) M. Chautemps (Prime Minister) and M. Blum (VicoPremier) at dinner before proceeding by night train to Geneva

Another passenger in the aeroplane was Admiral of the Fleet Sir A. Chatfield First Sea Lord

The plans of the British Government will not be disclosed until the conference assembles, and newspapers anticipate their nature will to some extent depend on the composition of t.he conference.

“The Times’ remarks that a scheme lor confining by agreement among the powers all submarines to certain speci fled areas, recognising that operations outside them would be suspect, would become impracticable in the absence of Germany and Italy. “The need in' the present situation is to make piratical attacks so dangerous to the attackers that they would be abandoned for this purpose. The number of men-of-war in the Mediterranean engaged in the defence of merchant ships will have to be still further increased, but il is evidently desirable that the burden should not be borne by this country alone. The forces of certain other nations already protecting llu-ir own merchant ships and all (hose so engaged, whether or

not they are to be reinforced by others, could bo directed to afford protection to any ship known or seen to be attacked regardless of nationality.” The news lhat Germany and Italy would not be represented was received with regret in London. No reply has yet been received from Albania and nine other powers. Britain, France, Yugoslavia, Greece, Bulgaria, Rumania, Turkey and Egypt intimated they will take part in the conference, which may well be transferred to Geneva as a more convenient centre. Discussions are not expected to be prolonged as the purpose of the mect- [ ing is severely practical and technical, and the British delegation is known to have prepared proposals which, with modifications, which may be necessitated by the non-participation of Italy and Germany, are likely to provide a suitable basis for the. conference’s work. In the British view the subject before the conference, is of the greatest urgency but of limited scope, and it may be assumed that any tendency to deviate from the immediate and concrete goal into political or “idealogical” sideplay will be resisted. The possibility of reference to the problem to the Non-In-tervention Committee would not have been overlooked in London or Paris before the proposals for the conference were m ide, arid the same cogent reasons which led the two Governments to reject the first procedure would not preclude their accepting the German and Italian counter proposals. The question of the safety of shipping of all nations far beyond the territorial waters of Spain goes outside the scope of the committee set up to deal with the special problems of, non-inter-vention, even if the gravity and urgency of the circumstances in which the question has arisen did not demand a more authoritative and direct mode ol negotiation.

AMERICAN SHIPPING WARNED

DANGER OF ATTACK (Received 10th September, 9.10 a.m.) WASHINGTON. 9th September. The Navy Department warned American shipping of danger of attack by unidentified aircraft and surface vessels in the Mediterranean. Mr Cordell Hull, Secretary of State, in a statement later decried “promiscuous” interference with merchantmen, stressing that the Government had not ordered out American shipping from the Mediterranean, but was assuming that American mariners were proceeding cautiously.