MEMEL HANDED OVER

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14091, 24 March 1939, Page 5

MEMEL HANDED OVER

RE UNITED WITH THE REICH

CHEERS FOR HITLER

United Press Assn. —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, March 23. The treaty for the handing over of IVlemel wi»! operate forthwith, says a Berlin message. In addition to including a non-ag-gression agreement between Germany and Lithuania, it provides for a free port zone in Meme! for Lithuania’s use. Her Hitler went by sea to Memel in order to avoid the distaste of traversing the Polish corridor. He landed at 9.30 a.m. and drove to the Theatre Square, which was lined with troops. The huge crowd of Germans cried “Heil.” The British United Press Memel correspondent understands the Deutschland will disembark three companies of marines as a permanent garrison. An Independent Cable message from Memel says the German-Li-thuanian Treaty contains four clauses: First, the Memel district is re-united with the Reich. Second, the Lithuanian Army and police are immediately to evacuate the territory. Other administrative questions resulting from the change of sovereignty are reserved for special agreement. Third, a free zone is granted Lithuania. Fourth, a mutual agreement for non-aggression is included. The seizure of Memel has increased uneasiness in Warsaw. Poland sees itself virtually surrounded on three sides by German troops, since Lithuania is now merely regarded as a German protectorate, with the independence of Latvia and Estonia also threatened. Apiirehe 11 si on was voiced in Parliament by the Government Deputy, M. Dudzinski, who introduced a motion declaring Poland was endangered by the emergence of the stark imperialism of Germany and demanding courageous decisions instead of a purely defensive foreign policy. MAKING BRAKE FOR HITLER. FULL FRENCH CO-OPERATION AGREEMENT EASILY REACHED. LONDON, March 23Mr Neville Chamberlain, Viscount Halifax and M. Bonnet conferred this afternoon on the general European situation. The Times says that the Englisn and French Ministers discussed the British suggestion for a joint declaration regarding Hungarian and Rumanian tension and the situation in Memel. Britain was able to report that an affirmative reply had been received from the Soviet but nothing definite from Poland, for whom the draft does not go far enough. The question, therefore arose of strengthening the wording and making the terms of co-operation more explicit. The idea of a conference has not been dropped. The Anglo-French discussion s will be resumed to-day. Mr Chamberlain, Lord Halifax and M. Bonnet easily agreed on the necessity for England and France to impose a brake on Germany’s attempt at hegemony in Central Europe. The Havas Agency say s M. Bonnet lias given a written undertaking of unrestricted I‘rench participation, in whatever form of co-operation is decided on. The Daily Telegraph says the manner of the Memel coup makes it more obvious that new aggressions are in store. The Times says the coup has all the characteristics of the militarised diplomacy of which the Nazis have made a speciality “The incompatibility of tlie Nazi methods with any reasonable code of international intercourse remains as glaring as ever.”