THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1955. THE DISCUSSIONS AT STRESA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22545, 12 April 1935, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1955. THE DISCUSSIONS AT STRESA

For reasons which are sufficiently apparent at the moment no conference of representatives of the Powers has for a long period claimed more attention than is being concentrated on the meeting at Stresa this week. Unfortunately this interest derives only too much from apprehension lest the conference should fail to contribute materially to an easing of the strain which is manifest in the European situation. An outstanding cause of tension is, of course, the attitude of Germany. Her rearming and her open boast that she has smashed the Peace Treaty have enlarged the problem of the organisation of peace in Europe. The Hitler Government proclaims its desire for peace, but it has made it clear that it is bent upon driving a bargain in respect of any proposals for international cooperation to which it may subscribe in that connection. The British, French, and Italian statesmen meeting at Stresa will take stock of the whole situation, and the world will be very keenly interested in seeing what they make of it. But it cannot bo said that the conference meets in very promising circumstances. Britain, France, and Italy are particularly concerned to stabilise peace in Europe on a basis of collective security. The co-operation of Germany is more or less essential to the furtherance of such a plan. At Stresa there will be more of what the Morning Post impatiently calls “ this exploratory business.” To the Stresa deliberations the British Government will make a particularly important contribution, for, following the London conversations, it undertook the task of finding out through the despatch of missions to Berlin, Moscow, Warsaw, and Prague the views of other European States concerning which the Powers conferring must desire to be as well-informed as possible. As Mr Anthony Eden did most of the travelling and interviewing on his Government’s behalf, it is unfortunate that illness should have followed upon his exertions in this important interest and made his attendance at Stresa impossible. Certainly as regards knowledge of the attitudes of (he Governments outside the conference, he would have been the best informed delegate (here, and, his diplomatic ability being unquestionable, the

British delegation suffers in consequence. But Sir John Simon participated in the Berlin conversations, and his colleague at Stresa will be Mr Ramsay MacDonald himself. Whether the information with which they will be fortified will be of immense benefit may be a matter of some doubt. Sir John Simon’s statement in the House of Commons prior to his departure for the conference was purely expository, and not specially informative at that. References to the clearly very non-committal intimations of Herr Hitler occupied a good deal of the statement. 'lt is taken for granted that the possibilities of the conclusion of a central European pact are to be a particular subject of discussion at Stresa. According to Sir John Simon, British Ministers “ understood ” in Berlin that the German Government did not reject the idea of such an arrangement in principle, and, though it did not see the necessity for a pact of the kind, would give consideration to the text of such a suggested agreement. Nothing could, of course, be more vague. Again at Berlin the British Ministers learned that, if other Governments would abandon certain types of arms, Germany would do likewise, and that she favoured the idea of an air pact among the Locarno Powers. That is rather more definite in relation to the desire of the Powers to bring Germany back to disarmament. But Sir John Simon made it clear that Germany is not talking about returning to the League of Nations save at her own price, which might include restoration of her former colonial possessions, and his statement confirmed the impression previously conveyed that the British representatives had little reason to be gratified over their discoveries at Berlin. Some comment has been offered on the lack of any indication of the British Government’s definite policy in relation to the European situation generally. Sir John Simon evidently anticipated this in his pronouncement that, in keeping with an assurance on that point, it will take part at Stresa without previously reaching “ definite conclusions. ’ If this spells uncertainty it is at least made clear that nothing can come of the Stresa discussions that will be binding on the British Government without the confirmation of Parliament. There has been little attempt to predict what may be. the outcome of the Stresa discussions. That the three Governments represented will endeavour to arrive at some understanding that will impress Germany need hardly be doubted.