GERMAN RULE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19894, 23 March 1939, Page 3

GERMAN RULE

MEMEL RETURNS BERLIN PROMISES LITHUANIAN INTERESTS POSSIBLE USE OF PORT SELF-1 JETERMIN AT LON 1 >l, E A DA NO Eli OF UNREST (Elec. Tol. Copyright —-United l’ross Assn.) (Reccl. March 23, 9 a.m.) LONDON, March 22. ? A message from Kaunas, the Lith- I uanian capital, states it is officially an- j nouncecl that the Lithuanian Govern- j ment has surrendered Memel to Germany. ! It is reported that German troops have begun to occupy Memel. A communique states that the German Foreign Minister, Herr von Ribbentrop, in the name of Germany, told M. Urbzy, the Luthanian Foreign Minister, that Germany demanded the incorporation of Memel in the Reich, adding that if the annexation was peaceable, Germany would give generous consideration to Lithuanian economic interests. It is understood that the German Note to Lithuania declared that the present situation in Memel might lead to unrest necessitating intervention by German troops, says Reuter's Kaunas correspondent. Life between Germans and non-Germans in Memel had become impossible. The note added that it gave the principle of self-determination as the basis of the German demands. A Warsaw message slates that a German and Lithuanian committee is settling the conditions under which Lithuania will use Memel as a port. The Lithuanian Cabinet declared that the decision had been reached in the interests of peace, adding that Lithuania would not make further concessions. ♦ It was stated that the decision would be confirmed by the Lithuanian Parliament because Germany demanded that the action be in accordance with legal procedure. WARNING BY FRANCE DETAILS OF SERVICES PENALTY. FOE BETRAYAL (Reed. March 23, 9 a.m.) PARIS, March 21. Another decree issued to-day states that information concerning the French army, navy and air force and subsidiary services, including air raid precautions, will not be published without the Government’s approval. Penalities for non-compliance will be similar to those imposed for espionage. The military commanders of the Lyons, Metz and Strasbourg regions become military governors, thereby controlling industry and civil | authority. NEED FOR REVIEW ANGLO-GEBMAN TRADE (British Official Wireless.) Rccd. 9 a.m. RUGBY, Mar. 21. The President of the Board of Trade Mr. Oliver Stanley, replying to a question in the House of Commons on the agreement recently concluded at Dusseldorf between representatives of the Federation of British Industries and the Reichsgruppe Industrie, said it was clear that the whole position needed examination in the light of the events of last week. He intimated that he had asked the federation to discuss the matter with him and, in a supplementary reply, he emphasised that he had asked for the discussion solely because of the new circumstances qrising from the German action in Czechoslovakia. Referring to reports which he had seen of criticism of the agreement by friendly countries, Mr. Stanley urged members to study the full text of the agreement, claiming that the criticisms in question were largely based on a misunderstanding. In answering another question, Mr. Stanley said that protection of British trade interests in Czechoslovakia to which British exports in 1938 amounted to £2,287,000, was undci consideration. POSTPONING- PAYMENTS (British Official Wireless.) Rccd. 9 a.m. RUGBY, Mar. 21. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir John Simon, has introduced a bill in the House of Commons, which is to be passed through all stages by Thursday, giving the necessary powers to enable the banks to postpone the making of payment out of banking accounts and the transfer of securities to gold with the Czechoslovakia Republic.