NEW PACT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22352, 25 February 1936, Page 9

NEW PACT

entente REBORN FRANCE AND RUSSIA GERMANY'S FEABS FIRMLY ENCIRCLED PRICE OF REARMAMENT By Telegraph— Association—Copyright (Received February 24. 10.45 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 24 -The Paris correspondent of the Times, recalling that the British Government, on the advice of the Crown Law Office, decided that the Franco-Soviet Pact did not infringe the Locarno Trfeaty, otherwise the French would not have signed it, says that France would not barter Locarno against any conceivable treaty, present or predictable, that the future could offer. France is confident that Germany will think carefully before proceeding on dangerous and unjustified treatybreaking in the Rhineland in the face of a solid Anglo-French front. The Manchester Guardian's Berlin correspondent says that the failure of German diplomacy to enlist British influence against the pact has lessened German warmth „toward England and revived allegations of hypocrisy. Whatever arguments are adducible of the wickedness of Germany's neighbours, it is realised here that rearmament in defiance of the Versailles Treaty has been accomplished at a heavy diplomatic price. Encircled more firmly than Imperial Germany in 1914, and more severely so in the economic sense, Nazi Germany witnesses the rebirth of the FrancoRussian Entente, and greatly fears a repetition of history by the renewal of the Anglo-Russian Entente. GERMAN REACTIONS CONSIDERATION BY FRANCE RATIFICATION CERTAIN (Received February 24, 9.15 p.m.) PARIS. Feb. 23 . The Cabinet, it is expected, will consider to-morrow {he possible German reactions to the ratification of the FrancoRussian Pact and the prospects of a conference on aferial and naval forces to which Germany would be invited. Ministerial, utterances to-day indicate that the Government has no intention of abandoning the ratification of the .pact. SPEECH BY MR. EDEN INTERNATIONAL SITUATION PRINCIPLES OF BRITISH POLICY ✓ • British Wireless RUGBY, Feb. 23 It is expected that during Monday's "debate in the House of Commons Mr. Anthony Eden'will deliver the first considered Parliamentary speech he has made since becoming Foreign Secretary. It is understood that he will survey the main aspects of the international situation and will indicate the general principles of British policy. The statement which he will make in regard to the publication by an Italian .paper of*a confidential inter-departmen-tal report on British interests in Abyssinia will be made in response to a private notice of question before the debate begins. RUSSIA'S DEFENCE CLAIMS TO INVINCIBILITY "COASTS NOW IMPREGNABLE" LONDON, Feb. 23 The eighteenth birthday of the Red Army is celebrated by sweeping claims to invincibility by land and air, says the Daily Telegraph's Moscow correspondent. Moreover. Russia's naval programme ensures that the Soviet will soon he as strong on the sea. The Newspaper Pravda declares that Russia is ready to fight both_ Japan and Germany single-handed. Even the railways, hitherto regarded as the weakest point in Russia's defence and now described as "the army's twin brother." are read.v to handle all strategic problems. Admiral Yerukhiniovich, commandant of the Navy, s&ys the coasts are now impregnable. • GERMANY'S AIR FORCE * STRONGEST IN THE WORLD" r • FORMER MINISTER'S HINT LONDON, Feb. 23 " There would be lack of British statesmanship if, in the event of war, we engaged in' opposition to Germany," said the Marquess of Londonderry, formerly Secretary of State for Air, on his return from a private visit to Germany. He added: " When the German Air Force completes its training it will probably be the strongest in the world. " Germany has the advantage of aircraft and armament factories being under Government control. She can turn out material far quicker than could Britain because what it takes Parliament months to achieve, Germany can do by a stroke of the pen."