THE RHINELAND AND LOCARNO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22823, 6 March 1936, Page 6

THE RHINELAND AND LOCARNO

The fear in Prance that Germany intends to rearm the demilitarised Rhineland area is very real. Officialjy Germany has denied that any hasty military reoccupation is contemplated, but between German assurances to potent Powers and the occasional militant pronouncements of members of the Nazi Government there is a difference in spirit, if not in actual statement, that gives some Aground for apprehension. The demilitarisation of the Rhineland is guaranteed by the Treaties of Locarno, by which its present territorial status is assured. And provision is made in Locarno that, while there must be resort to war until all pacific means of settling territorial disputes have failed, either party has the right to take immediate action against an aggressor in certain events, one of the contingencies being the assembly of armed forces in a demilitarised zone. The dangerous rele!vance of this proviso to the Rhineland situation, should Germany decide to disregard her undertaking there, as she has ignored certain obligations under the Treaty of Versailles, should need no emphasis. France looks to the permanent demilitarisation of the Rhineland as some assurance of her frontier from attack by Germany. At the Locarno Conference it was only very reluctantly, at the insistence of Sir Austen Chamberlain, that France was persuaded to agree to the treaty guaranteeing the Rhineland being madi* bilateral—that is, with an equality olf guarantee by both France and Germany against violation. Having so grudgingly admitted as much by way of concession, albeit a reasonable one. the French Government is now seized with a belief that Germany contemplates acting in regard to the Rhineland area without notice to or consultation with the Powers, by establishing military occupation and » confronting the world with a fait accompli. Thero can be no doubt as to the extremo gravity with which such an action would be regarded in France. She is obviously determined that in such an event there shall be no such acquiescence as has attended Germany's rearmament in defiance of Versailles. It is stated that a formal request isi to be made to Great Britain to ascertain her attitude should German militarisation of the Rhineland be commenced. That the reply will constitute a warning to the . Nazi Government against any violation of the Locarno agreements may bo anticipated.