SECRET TREATIES

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11785, 22 March 1924, Page 5

SECRET TREATIES

FRANCE AND SLOVAKIA GERMANS DECLARE DOCUMENTS STRICTLY ACCURATE. DENI ALS REJECTED. Bv Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright Mentor's Telegram. BERLIN, March 20. The “Tageblatt” publishes tho terms of the secret Fran/xj-Czecho Treaties threatening Germany, which are provoking excitement throughout the Reich. All the newspapers scornfully reject as lies denials from Paris and Prague. The “Tageblatt” insists on the accuracy of the documents, and threatens further revelations. The Ozeoho-Slovakian Embassy bluntly describes the documents as forgeries. ‘STUPID FABRICATION” OZBCHD-SLOVAK STATEMENT. TREATIES UNHEARD OF. The following cable, received from Prague, dated March 20th, has been transmitted by the Gzecho-Slovak Oort sulate in Sydney:— In the Czecho-Slovak Parliamentary Council for Foreign Affairs a German member, Herr Kafka, made an interpellation in which he demanded explanations from the Czecho-Slovak For. eign Minister, .Dr Bernes, regarding the full documents published in yesterday’s “Berliner Tageblatt” of treaties between France and Lkeoho-Slovakia, as follows: —A treaty between France and Ozecho-Slovakia. dated October 28th, 1918. France guaranteed' to recognise the Czecho-Slarvakia State and its borders were agreed upon. ( 2) A treaty between Franca and Ozecho-Slovakia dated April 24th, 1921, safeguarding the possibilities of the attachment of Austria to Germany, in whioh case Czecho-Slovakia guaranteed military intervention. (3) A defensive treaty between France, Czecho-Slovakia and Jugoslavia. The Minister for Foreign Affairs strongly regrets the documents, as a clumsy and stupid fabrication. 'Ha points out inaccuracies which am in contradiction to international termino. logy. Dr Bones declared several time* that he has never made or signed any secret treaties; neither will he do so in the future. He declared it was impassible to deny all the fabrications made in the world. He smarted that daring the past five years there had. not been the smallest tmeunderstandin between Czecho-Slovakia and Germany. The Foreign Minister asked Parliament who was interested in making troubles and oomflicta, and why Wolf’s Agency broadcasted these false documents.

Dr Benea afterwards referred td the fact that certain circles were irresponsible, frivolously, and oolpably inventing politics. To further interpellations Dr Banes answered that ho recently signed a Franco-Ozecho-Slovak Treaty, whioh contains no additional secret clauses unless tho second article of the said treaty should be misunderstood in this sense. Therefore the question whether such additional secret clauses would be registered by the Society of Nations was uncalled for. A further expose of the Foreign Minister in Parliament regarding reparations was (proclaimed as confidential.