BLACKMAIL FROM NAZIS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19338, 31 May 1937, Page 5

BLACKMAIL FROM NAZIS

CONDITION OF PEACE RETURN OP COLONIES i May 29. Dr. IT. Schacht, German* Minister of Economy, who is visiting Paris for the international exhibition, speaking at an assembly of the Franco-German Society, said that the newspapers criticised Germany because she always asked, and never offered. ...■■-

"I agree," he continued. "The poor can do little more than ask. But Germany does offer a firm guarantee of European peace in return for a reformed League of Nations and is also prepared to discuss armaments. - ......

"Germany is accused of using blackmail by making her offer "conditional on her receiving colonial outlets. I plead guilty. It is blackmail, but peace must be strengthened, even if blackmail is used."

French personalities present were astounded to hear the word blackmail, probably so used for the first time in history, thus proclaimed as an instrument of international goodwill, but it is considered that Germany is not as interested, in regaining her former colonies, as Dr. Schacht's *speech suggests. On the contrary, sne is inclined to drop the subject to conciliate England, though for internal purposes, the subject of colonies will still be raised in orations. A tangible result of Dr. Schacht's visit has been the arrangement of a Franco-German trade- agreement:' Ger. many has accepted France's refusal- to agree to a reduction of .the interest rate on the Dawes and Young loans, but has agreed to an extension of reciprocal trade.