THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1933 A EUROPEAN PEACE PACT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21506, 1 June 1933, Page 10

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1933 A EUROPEAN PEACE PACT

The intimation that the Four-Power Pact is to be initialled to-day by the negotiating parties strengthens the hope of ail assured peace. Recent fears, of serious international quairels, if not an early outbreak of war, have been concerned with Europe, and it is there that critical issues have to be faced, frighting in the Far East or in South America, badly as it reflects on an age pledged to abandon war as an instrument of national policy, can be isolated ; in Europe it would mean a deadly blow at the most vital part of the world's body politic. And in Europe, at present, it is chiefly the attitude of France, Germany and Italy that counts for peace or war. That these three Powers, with Britain, should combine in. a pledge against war and in favour of close co-operation, therefore, means much. Recently, Europe has been drifting into discord, its nations tending to align themselves in two distinct camps. Germany, under the masterful hand of Hitler, has been exerting a baleful influence, a revival of rabid nationalism threatening to become recklessly aggressive. With Germany, Austria and Hungary have been disposed to draw away from Euiopean co-operation. On the other i side, has been France, in habitual dread of Germany and moved by a mo-e intense fear since Hitlerism got sway; and with France have stood Poland and the Little Entente —Yugoslavia, Rumania and Czechoslovakia, A primary cause of this hostile alignment has been the German insistence on revision of treatieis related to frontiers, an insistence exciting the sympathy of Austria and Hungary but arousing the antagonism of France, bent on retaining the territorial fruits of the Allies' Victory, and the equally bitter antagonism of Poland and the group in the Little Entente. Italy's position, while less defined, has tended to friendship with Germany, because of the Fascist element in Hitlerism and a fear of French aggression. Other European nations, outside this movement into hostile ca:npSj have been content to hold aloof—all save one, Britain, which has cared enough for the peace of ths world to take the manful and difficult task of assuaging the hostility and preventing these solidifyin? alliances from precipitating war. How difficult the task has been is evident from the maintenance of friendship with France while avowing, in the words of Mr. Mac Donald tr. the House of Commons, a recognition cf the need for some treaty revision,. But the British Prime Minister went beyond speech. He made an opportunity to discuss with Mussolini the whole European situation, and significantly there was is,sued at once by the Italian Premier, with the approval of Mr. Mac Donald, a suggestion of this Four-Power Pact. In its first form it; had isix pledges. The four Powers undertook to pursue a policy of cooperation, with a view to establishing peace among themselves and in the whole domain of European relations; they accepted the principle of revision of peace treaties in accordance with the -letter and spirit of the covenant of the League end within the League framework; Britain, France and Italy declared that, in the event of only partial EiuQcess, by the Disarmament Conference, Germany should have equality of armament rights, and Germany declared that these rights would be exercised only by stages fixed by successive understandings among the .four Powers; they agreed to adopt, as far as possible, a common line of conduct in all questions, political and non-political, European or extra-European; they bound themselves to fulfil these undertakings for a period of ten years, and for a further period of ten years unless the agreement were denounced by one oil them a year before the first decade expires ; and they agreed to the registration of the pact at the Secret,a«iat of the League, thereby ensuring fully international cognisance and oversight. In this way the four Powers were to draw definitely together, and Mr. Mac Donald clearly stated that other nations would be consulted before the pact was finally adopted. Its terms and its plain intention made it a most useful basis of agreement. At first there was undisguised apprehension in some quarters. The French reaction was only partially favourable, and Germany's attitude was uncertain. Both Powers have since announced their approval and support, France being content to suggest minor modifications. Poland frankly dreaded the possibility of losii of the Baltic Corridor and the upiiietdrig of the non-German status of Upper Silesia. The latter question perturbed Czecho-Slovakia, while Rutminia and Yugoslavia resented the apparent, intention to review territorial rights in their possession but claimed by Hungary, and were suspicious of Italy. There seemed to bo justification for the closer union of the Little Entente on fensii'e lines laid down in February —a union amounting to a demand that their combined population of 75,000,000 should be recognised as constituting a fifth great Power in Europe. Only a day or two ago Yugoslavia was demonstrating against the proposed pact. But the minor modifications in it have now made it acceptable to the Little Entente. The conclusion of this pact, the revised text of which is as remarkable as its first draft, will weld in a co-operative union nations prone 1o cherish antagonisms, and should have a tranquilising effect on all Europe. It does not amount to the advent of the millennium, of course, for the making and keeping of such undertakings are very different things. Rut they are the best means by which national animosities can be bridged, and the thorough discussion and frank publicity of this instance invest it, with more than the average likelihood of practical success..