WESTERN PACT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19138, 6 October 1936, Page 10

WESTERN PACT

GERMANY’S AMBITION FREE HAND TX EAST TREATY WITH FRANCE LONDON. Sept. 20. There is good mi,«on lo believe, according to l.lie latest. reports from Berlin, tliiit, if the preliminary negotiations proceed favourably, (lermany will agree to the holding of a Locarno conference in November. Jt is realised in London that (lie. Spanish war and the increased tension at .Moscow ami Berlin are difficulties that affect the chances of a successful conference. hut these difficulties, it is held, do not justify tin indefinite postponement of the conference and the abandonment of attempts at a general settlement. The Berlin correspondent of the Manchester Guardian says: "Germany will tit. least demand that, the extension of tlie conference's efforts beyond a Western settlement shall he dropped, but it is no longer seriously considered probable that. 'Germany will refuse to route to a settlement with France while France’s alliance with the Soviet exists. Much store appears lo be set. in Berlin upon the new approach towards France begun on the visit lo Paris of tiie Minister of Kconomy. Dr. SthacliL which was followed by (he short slay in Berlin of the French Minister of Commerce, M. Bast id. this week. M. Bast id did good work, and, if the possibilities of a new economic arrangement between Franco and Germany have been well prepared, tin extension from the economic into the political Held might, be expected.” ABUSE OF RUSSIA The Berlin press urges (he throwing overboard of "all (hat Eastern ballast" which threatens to weight down the conference.

The Berlin correspondent ol The Time

says: "The Germans continue to insist firmly that the conference will not he possible with their collaboration, if Eastern questions are draggled in. The prospect of a limitation of armaments and of economic settlements is held out as a counter-attraction to ail ‘indivisible’ arrangement and agreement with the Soviet, if a Western pact, is concluded and the rest, is left. open, it can he taken lor granted that, unless something unforeseen happens in the meantime, Germany will see. that the rest does not come up for consideration at all. With a Western part she would have, achieved an illi]»oritint, aim—settlement, and refortification in the west and a free hand in Ihe east. If the Western pact, is wrecked on her obstinate exclusion of the east, or. as she would see it, France's obstinate inclusion of it. and Britain still refuses to enter any scheme which might, he construed as an encirclement of Germany. and feels compelled to steer a course towards isolation, that would be the next best thing for Germany. But it would leave in (lie west just that re ; straining uncertainly about British policy in a crisis which has been so deeply deplored in Germany since her experience in 1914.” The Berlin correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says: ‘‘Although Germany does not actually claim (lie leadership of the proposed conference, if is clear that little short of if will satisfy. The German. press has been instructed not to use the expression ‘.Locarno Powers,’ hut to refer only to a Western Pact Conference. thus creating the impression that there is no possibility 'of extending its scope to cover Eastern frontiers. The Berlin press emphasises that the Locarno Rowers pact no longer exists, and a new Western pact, must lie built no entirely op a new basis with a different end in view.

“Abuse of Russia is still the main feature of the (termini press, but the Crerman army leaders’ view is that the Red army, despite its remarkable progress, is far from being adequately equipped from a (eclinienl viewpoint, or adequately officered for a. foreign adventure. The army leaders also deprecate alarmist campaigns, which, they think, are likely to interfere dangerously with (he new t'our-vear military and economic plan.”