NAVAL PARITY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20875, 15 November 1929, Page 9

NAVAL PARITY

FRANCE AND ITALY. “A MEDITERRANEAN LOCARNO.” (United Press Association.) ’ (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, November 14. (Received Nov. 14, at 10 p.m.) There has been a revival lately of the suggestion for a so-called Mediterranean Locarno, on the basis of which France aiid Italy might be induced to accept naval parity in the Mediterranean by undertaking, with Britain, to guarantee either of those Powers against aggression from the other. The Geneva correspondent of the Daily Herald states that Sir Eric Drummond is going to London to see Mr Henderson for a special purpose, the implication being that the idea is Sir Eric Drummond’s own, • The diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says the idea has previously been. mooted in varying forms, hut in any case it is one that the British Government will not countenance for a mpmbnt because its main concern is .to keep free from war commitments. • The naval correspondent of the Morning Post classes the report as part of a considerable amount of kite-flying in view of the Naval Conference. The Paris correspondent of the Daily Herald takes up the subject. He says that M. Briand’s view is that Britain has already discovered a criterion by which she can measure her needs in the direction of security, and France must now attempt to discover a similar criterion. Any external guarantee would play a valuable part in the discussion of Mediterranean parity.