FRANCE-ITALIAN IMPASSE

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1930, Page 9

FRANCE-ITALIAN IMPASSE

DISCUSSIONS AT GENEVA FRENOH-JUGO SLAV TREATY ITALY’S SUGGESTED JOINING By Telegraph—Press Anan.— Copyright. Rec. 8.55 p.m. Geneva, May 14. The conversations between M. Briand and Signor Grand! continue. The Italians want to discuss political questions before the naval issue; also the question of the Franco-Jugoslav alliance, which Italy regards as a potential menace. It is hinted that Signor Grandi is prepared to discuss merging into a triple agreement—France, Italy and Jugoslavia—which will recognise Italy’s special interests in the Adriatic. Obviously negotiations on these lines would be long and difficult. EFFORTS BY MR. HENDERSON. “PSYCHOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES.” British Wireless. Rugby, May 14. An informal luncheon table discussion which took place at Geneva yesterday between Mr. Henderson, M. Briand and Signor Grandi is expected to be the first of a series of conversations in which the Foreign Ministers will try to settle the questions at issue between France and Italy. Several newspapers here express the view that the Franco-Italian difficulties are mainly psychological and that with the strengthening of mutual confidence the specific difficulties would soon reach a solution. Britain is directly interested in the achievement of an agreement upon the naval issue, but it is recognised that France and Italy might find this easier if the discussion of political questions which have been outstanding in recent years were also allowed. The broadening of the conversations to include the free and informal discussion of all outstanding political problems between the two countries is regarded by British newspapers as a more hopeful method of creating an atmosphere favourable to definite agreements.

Mr. Henderson is reported also to have discussed with M, Briand the question of the completion of the Rhineland evacuation. It is hoped that this will be achieved by June 30, which was the date mentioned by the political committee of The Hague Conference, over which Mr. Henderson presided.