PACT PROPOSED

Southland Times, Issue 22203, 21 December 1933, Page 5

PACT PROPOSED

FRANCE AND GERMANY OUTLINE OF HITLER’S DEMANDS SAAR WANTED BACK (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright-) (Rec. 11.35 p.m.) Paris, December 20. A Note from Berlin has arrived outlining the conditions of the nonaggression pact recently discussed by Herr Hitler and M. Poncet. The German demands in the Note include the immediate return of the Saar territory without a plebiscite, though the French are left in possession of the mines until 1935, an increase in the effective strength of the Reichswher to 300,000, who would be proviaed with defensive arms limited to quantities, and lastly, Germany to accept unlimited control of armaments on an equal footing with other States. Writing to the newspaper Liberte M. Jacques Bainville states that whereas Germany is allowed 102,000 rifles under the Versailles Treaty, she had 1,600,000 on October 31, 1932, and 2,500,000 on October 31, 1933. which is only 200,000 fewer than were destroyed after the war. Though she was allowed only 1926 machine-guns under the Versailles Treaty, Germany now has 35,000 apart from 6000 large guns compared with 288 prescribed by the Versailles Treaty. M. Bainville adds that Germany has also quadrupled her railway lines along the western frontier and has enlarged railway- bridges to allow 1300 trains to pass daily, and is constructing new shunting yards. BRITISH OPINION. IMPORTANT PROPOSALS. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph ■ Copyright.) (Rec. 11.40 p.m.) London, December 20. The diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Telegraph states that British opinion on Herr Hitler’s proposals, is that they are far too earnest and important to justify a flat refusal to discuss them on the part of any Power interested in European peace.