Suez Canal

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 22 December 1938, Page 10

Suez Canal

Notes on the News

Answering questions in the House of Commons, Mr. Neville Chamberlain said that Britain and Italy had, as part of tlie Rome agreement, reaffirmed their intention always to respect the Suez Canal Convention of 18S8. The Treaty of Constantinople. 1888 (usually designated the Suez Canal Convention), lays down the following rules: <1) The canal is open in time of war, as in time of peace, to all vessels,'eii her merchantment or warships, belonging either to neutral States or \ to belligerents. (2) No acts of hostility may be committed within the canal or its ports of access, or in the sea to a distance of three marine miles from either end of it. (») The en- ! trances to I lie canal may not he blockladed. (4) No permanent fortification j 1 may !>e erected. (5) The warships of i a belligerent may not revictual or take ; on stores in the canal, embark or dis- ' embark troops, or stay in the canal or j | ports of access more than 24 hours, i ! except in case of necessity as provided : j 1 the same provisions being applicable to ! prizes. (0) If vessels of different j belligerents are in the canal or ports j of access at the same time, a period j j of 24 hours is to elapse between the 1 departure of any vessel belonging to j 1 one belligerent and that of any ves- j j sol belonging to his adversary. (•) j Warships mav not l»e stationed inside , the canal: but each Power, not being a lKdligcrent. may station two war- j ' ships in the ports of Suez or Port Said, j The signatories to the treaty were | Groat Britain, France. Germany. Aus- I I tria. Italy. Spain, the Netherlands, and I Turkey. Munich Declaration : Mr. Neville Chamberlain said in the House of Commons that the relations he would like to see between Great Britain and Germany were as set forth : in tlie Munich Declaration. This declaration was signed between ' Ilcrr Hitler and Mr. Chamberlain following the Four-Power Conference' at Munich on the Czechoslovakian dismemberment at tlie end of September last. The declaration is: “We. the German Fuehrer and Chancellor and the British Prime Minister, have had a further meeting today and are agreed in recognizing that theques- i tion of Anglo-German relations is of the . first importance for the two countries | and for Europe. “We regard the agreement signed last ■ night rFour-Power Pact guaranteeing I the frontiers of Czechoslovakia] and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as ’j symbolic of the desire of our two ,| peoples never to go to war with one > ! another again. “We are resolved that the method of i consultation shall he the method adopt- j oil to deal with any other questions that , may concern our two countries, and we 1 arc determined to continue our efforts to remove possible sources of difference . j and thus to contribute to assure the Germany And Bolshevism A German sjiokesmau declared that , Germany favoured peace as much as Mr. j ('hamini-lain did. and said: "Bolshev- j i ism is the Public Enemy Number One, ; and the only thing we desire Is to keep j i it out of Europe, and particularly out ; '! of the Mediterranean.” •j S| leaking in the Reichstag on Feb- I . rmrry 22, 1938, Herr Hitler said: “With j I one country we have refused to enter i into relations. That State is Soviet , Russia. We see in Bolshevism the in- i | carnation of human destructive forces. ! I Any introduction of Bolshevism in a I European country means the changing j of conditions. For those territories tin- 1 der Bolshevik rulership are no longer sovereign nations but sections of the | revolutionary centre of Moscow. ... I "We therefore oppose any attempt ! I at. the spreading of Bolshevism. | wherever it may take place and wherever it threatens us. From tins 1 j arises our relationship with Japan. £ I cannot agree with those politicians who believe they are rendering the European world a service by harming Japan, j 1 believe that a Japanese defeat in the < I Far East would never be of any good I to Europe or America, but would exclusively benefit Bolshevik Soviet 1 Russia.” j