NAVAL AGREEMENT

Southland Times, Issue 20614, 12 October 1928, Page 7

NAVAL AGREEMENT

FRANCO-BRITISH PACT RELEVANT DOCUMENTS TO BE PUBLISHED DECISION OF CABINET (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) London, October 10. As was anticipated to-day’s meeting of Cabinet decided to publish the AngloFrench compromise proposals as early as possible. Government circles seem to think the comprehensiveness of the correspondence tracing the entire course of the negotiations will be a sufficient answer to the critics. It is even suggested that it will convincingly prove that earlier publication was impracticable in view of the whole facts being unknown and would have caused equally as much consternation as the piecemeal leakages have alreadv done. A Parliamentary discussion of the matter will take place during the first week of the new session of Parliament, probably on the Labour amendment to the Address-in-Reply to the Speech from the Throne. The Foreign Office states that the reply of the Italian Government to the AngloFrench proposals for the limitation of naval armaments having reached London, the observations of all the Powers to whom the proposals were communicated, have now been received. There is therefore no longer any reason why relevant documents should not be made public. They are accordingly being collected for that purpose, and will be published as soon as they can be printed and when the consent, where required, of the other Governments concerned has been obtained.—Australian Press Association. FEELING AGAINST HEARST. HORAN TO REMAIN IN FRANCE. Paris, October 10. Indignation is growing against Mr Hearst and an unnamed official from whom the former obtained the naval agreement. Mr Hearst’s attack on France added fuel to the flames. The inquiry has so progressed that the exposure of the actual culprit is believed to be imminent, consequently the expulsion order against Mr Horan has been suspended. He will be the principal witness at the investigation. The Press insistently demands the discovery and punishment of the guilty official. ‘They agree that the expulsion of Mr Horan is no remedy for the situation.—Australian Press Association. PRESS ASSOCIATION’S ATTITUDE. STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN. (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) Paris, October 11. “M. Berthelot does not hide the fact that the action of Mr Horan entails an extremely grave responsibility,” says Le Petit Parisien, in recording the fact that M. Berthelot informed M. Briand that full light will be thrown on the affair and a communique containing complete results of the investigations will be published. Mr Bird, chairman of the Anglo-American Press Assocation, according to Le Journal, says that the association was unaware of the police inquiry when it met. The committee has now no reason to intervene. “Yesterday,” he said, “we were moved by seeing a colleague arrested in the street like a common thief. To-day we realize that it is not for us to intervene in an inquiry which affects no one but the French police.” —Australian Press Association—United Service. INVITATION OR DEMAND? London, October 10. The Paris correspondent of The Times states that Mr Horan has been informed that he can remain in Paris pending the conclusion of the police inquiry into the document incident. It is not clear whether this is an invitation or a demand. Meanwhile is is hinted that should Mr Horan choose to return to France after a discreet interval there would be no official objection.—Times Cable.