EUROPEAN INTRIGUE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17009, 16 April 1926, Page 11

EUROPEAN INTRIGUE.

SOVIET MACHINATIONS. , MANY MISGIVINGS VOICED. STATESMEN'S MOVEMENTS CAUSE SPECULATION, |Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Australian- and N.Z Cable Association; (Received April 16, 3 p.m.) LONDON. April 15. While British official circles are not surprised,that Germany and Russia arc. negotiating a treaty, it is foolish to deny they have misgivings. The Daily Telegraph expresses the opinion that Moscow-has found means of influencing Germany through- the injustice) frqm which the. latter suffered at Geneva. The paper also stresses the fact that this is only one of the Soviet’s antiLeague intrigues, which involve the offer of pacts to Poland and the Baltic States, besides Germany.

Tho Morning Post says Russia hails tho German Treaty as a bridge built. over Poland for security for loans and manufactured goods, while Germany does not disguise her motive is securing new markets for manufactures and now sources of supply of raw materials. These are ‘not- .the only complications developing at present, in Europe. It is understood that Poland ;and 'the border States under the influence of the Soviet’s definite refusal to attend tho Preparatory Disarmament Conference, are arguing that-they can-hardly bo expected to reduce, armies without an assurance that.their.more powerful neighbors and Soviet Russia similarly agree. Whether this attitude is spontaneous or inspired by the. Soviet-as a. part ot an ambitious scheme to create a new orientation eastwards, is not yet clear. The ..movements of certain statesmen continue to cause speculation. Thp Polish- Premier, Count Skrolynski, arrived at .Praguo on Tuesday- and is duo in Vienna to-day. It is known the Praguo. conversations related -to the. attitude. to, b« adopted toward tlfe: Disarmament Conference and the, reorganisation of the League, The Morning Post’s Warsaw correspon’ dent predicts that Poland’s relations with tho Littlw Entente will .‘become more intimate. Poland and Czecho-Slovakia are natural allies.

M. Boncour is at present in Berlin, after paying visits to Warsaw, and Danzig. it-is believed in>,connection with the attempt to form Pact under,-tho friendly aegis,of Italy and France.

THE;BALKAN’;BJATEB7

VERY/MXJ.CH WOOED, FROM VARIOUS MOTIVES. MUSSOLINI’S WORK. DIPLOMATIC NIGHTMARES. (Australian- and N.Z." Cablo Association.) (Received'April 16, 3 p.m.). LONDON.' April 15; The Morning Post’s Warsaw, correspondent ' says :—“lndeed the Balkans have' been much wooed lately in all quarters, from- various motives. Finally, Sig-. nor. Mussolini’S:.lmperialistic tour causep diplomatic nightmares. The. Vomaerts interprets it as a threat against Turkey, the plan being that Italy should attack Smyrna, while Greece simultaneously invades Thrace.

THE ESPIONAGE ARRESTS,

MORE MYSTERY,

(Reuter's Telegram.) (Received 1 April-) )6,. 3- p.m.) PARIS, April 15,

Considerable public interest is being taken- in the Riviera espionage affair; inwhich tyo Frenchmen, Andre ' Procopo and'Georges Latapie, were arrested, and eleven foreigners, mostly Italians, with whom they are alleged to have had relations, expelled from the country. The newspapers‘hint at- the existence of a huga espionage organisation. | The arrested men deny the charge of espionage.