OPPOSITION TO DISTURBANCE OF STATUS QUO

Southland Times, Issue 23793, 15 April 1939, Page 7

OPPOSITION TO DISTURBANCE OF STATUS QUO

(British Official Wireless) RUGBY, April 13

The Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain), in the House of Commons, announced unilateral guarantees to Greece and Rumania similar to that originally given to Poland. He stated that Britain found it difficult in the extreme to reconcile what had happened in Albania with the preservation of national sovereignty as contemplated by the Anglo-Italian Agreement, l and after referring to the general uneasiness created by these events and the shock to confidence which resulted, he said Britain felt it had both a duty and service to perform by leaving no doubt in the mind of anybody about its position.

“I, therefore, take this opportunity of saying on its behalf that his Majesty’s Government attaches the greatest importance to the avoidance of disturbance by force of threats of the status quo in the Mediterranean and the Balkan Peninsula,” said the Prime Minister. “Consequently the Government has come to the conclusion that in the event of any action being taken which clearly threatens the independence of Greece or Rumania and which the Greek or Rumanian Governments respectively considers it vital to resist with their national forces, the British Government will feel itself bound to lend at once to Greece or Rumania, any support in its power.”