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Southland Times, Issue 23460, 17 March 1938, Page 5

SWING TOWARDS COLLECTIVE ACTION FRANCE AND RUSSIA PROMISE TO HELP CZECHOSLOVAKIA (United Press Association —Telegraph Copyright) (Received March 16,10.40 p.m.) LONDON, March 16. As a sequel to the debate in the House of Commons on Monday, opinion in Parliament appears to be swinging, towards Britain making a stand with the League of Nations Powers to prevent further aggression, says the Australian Associated Press. The belief in diplomatic circles, however, is that Germany, in view of her preoccupations in reorganizing and consolidating Austria, will not imminently turn towards Czechoslovakia. This view is shared in Czechoslovakia, where so far there are no signs of apprehension. The Australian Associated Press says it is understood that the Dominions’ High Commissioners asked the Prime Minister (Mr NeviHe Chamberlain) and the Foreign Secretary (Viscount Halifax) to grant them an interview. ■ This request is a sequel to the vital turn the European situation has taken. • The Paris correspondent of The Times says that the French Prime Minister (M. Leon Blum) in conversation with the Czech Minister (M. Osuskyj is understood to have repeated the assurances already given on many occasions that France is determined to honour her engagements to Czechoslovakia. . It is understood that the French Government has instructed the French Ambassador to London (M. Charles Corbin) to inform the British Government that France intends to fulfil all her obligations to Czechoslovakia in the event of an attack. An authoritative spokesman in Moscow declared that if Czechoslovakia were attacked and France went to her assistance the Soviet would honour the Russian pact of mutual '• assistance with the Czechs. Asked how the pact could be fulfilled in the absence of a common frontier, the spokesman replied: “A corridor must be created.”