SECURITY PROBLEM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22391, 11 April 1936, Page 11

SECURITY PROBLEM

PROPOSALS REVIEWED ENGLISH PRESS VIEWLS FEARS OF NON-SUCCESS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received April 10, 6.45 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, April 9 TI.o French Government's reply to the German memorandum of April 1 and its proposals for "the consolidation of peace by the organisation of security, mutual assistance and a limitation of arms, as well as by widespread economic and financial reconstruction, are reproduced in full in the leading newspapers. Editorial comment on the proposals is unanimous in recognising the conviction in favour of organised security which inspires the French plan, but apprehension is evident lest an undertaking on the scale envisaged would not bo inevitably frustrated by inconclusive discussions. This fear is most explicit in an article in the Daily Telegraph, which says it thinks the plan has unwise elaboration and detail. This idea is echoed bv the Manchester Guardian, which says Mr. Eden was right to advocate a restricted programme for this year's negotiations. Empire in a Single Framework

Both the Times and the Daily Telegraph say they find the proposals wholly impracticable in many parts, but the Telegraph mnkes the point regarding the growing number of "peace plans" that "if all these projects were thrown into a common pool statesmanship would be undeserving of its name if it could not extract from them something which woidd give a better guarantee than we have now of peace." « The Daily Express says it thinks that before joining in the reorganisation of Europe the British Empire should be bound into a single framework. It urges Britain to turn to her own task first while regarding Europe's efforts to rebuild with all goodwill. The caustic French comments on the more plausible of the arguments in the German memorandum are generally approved, for their substance if not for their tone. At the same time both the Daily Herald and the News Chronicle contrast the French proposals for improving and strengthening the guarantees of security of the League Covenant and the obligations to respect treaties with the French attitude to the flagrant violation of the Covenant in Abyssinia. French Attitude to the Covenant

The French attitude is succinctly summed up by tho Times, which savs with reference to yesterday's proceedings at Geneva: "The conviction no doubt will be heard that the moment when France is submitting proposals to build upon the Covenant a morfe sure edifice of international security, and when Germany has offered to rejoin the League and to accept the obligations of the Covenant, certainly is not the moment to confess that the Covenant is worthless."

The fact that the French reply does net close the door to negotiations is recognised and welcomed, while the wide divergence which still exists between the French and German positions is admitted. On this the Times expresses the prevailing sentiment in saying: "The task of reconciling the opposing views cannot be abandoned. So far from having ended in failure, it has hnrdlv begun."

GERMANY'S ARMS FACTORIES ALL BUSY M. FLANDIN'S VEILED THREAT (.Received April 10, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 9 The Berlin correspondent of the Morning Post states that Herr Hitler's unpublished reply t<? demands not to refortify the Rhineland has been to order a further acceleration of the manufacture of arms and munitions. Since March 28 German factories, including Krupps. the Rhein Metnll and Siemens, have been employing four shifts of six hours each and also working on Sundays. It is an open secret that the Olympic village of Doeberitz, in which competitors are to be housed, will become a German Sandhurst after the Games. A message from Paris states that M. Flandin declares the refortification of the Rhineland would constitute a new breach of the Versailles Treaty. France then might seek more energetic action.