GERMAN RIGHTS

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1935, Page 5

GERMAN RIGHTS

HERR HITLER’S VIEWS

INFERIORITY SUGGESTED

REFERENCE TO COLONIES

BRITISH STRESA POLICY

NO DEFINED CONCLUSIONS

British Wireless. Rugby, April 9. Referring to the recent talks in view of the Stresa conference, Sir John Simon, Foreign Secretary,. in the House of Commons stated that if any general agreement as to arms limitation could be reached Germany would be prepared to accept a system of permanent and automatic supervision on the understanding that such supervision applied to all Powers equally. Hen Hitler had said that the German Government favoured the suggestion contained in the London communique of an air pact between the Locarno Powers. On the subject of the League of Nations Herr Hitler refened to the assertion he made in May, 1933, that Germany would not continue to participate in the League if she was to remain what he described as “a country of inferior rights,” and alleged by way of example that she was in a position of inferiority if she had no colonies. Sir John Simon continued: ‘‘l have confined myself to an account of what was said by others, but it must not be supposed that the British Ministers did not indicate strong disagreement on certain points and, indeed, at the end of the Berlin interview I expressed disappointment at the difficulties disclosed in the wayi of agreement.’* , ... His statement was purely objective and in view of the fact that the comments of the leading newspapers of Britain were sometimes supposed on the Continent to represent Government opinion it was desirable to state that His Majesty’s Government, faithful to the assurance that it would take .part in the Stresa conference without previously. reaching defined conclusions, had not yet formulated an attitude to these interviews, and he hoped the opinion aroused would await the official utterance of the Government before drawing inferences from any unauthorised comments and pronouncements'.

DISARMAMENT WANTED.

Following Sir John Simon’s statement Mr. George Lansbury, Opposition Leader, remarked that he was expressing the view of a very considerable body of opinion when he said it was hoped that the Goverhment was going to carry out a policy at Stresa of collective security through the League of Nations, based not merely on piling up poison gas or armaments but on disarmament.

“The real significance of Sir John Simon’s statement 7 was the entire absence of a defined policy,” says the SunHerald. “The situation has the elements of Cabinet complications, the sequel., to which will only be known after the Stresa conference. The Cabinet appears to have divided itself into two schools, pro-French and pro-German. Evidently the Conservatives are ranging themselves against Mr. MacDonald and Sir John Simon, whose presence at Stresa without a single Conservative Minister may conceivably create a situation in which the Conservatives eventually will seek to replace the National administration. The Conservatives fear that Mr. MacDonald and Sir John Simon without Mr. Eden will not express the British policy at Stresa as they want it.”

Mr. Baldwin in his speech at Llandtridod Wells referred to the outlook in international politics. At times, he gaid, he felt that he was living in a madhouse. A great ''attempt' was made at Versailles to redraw the map of Europe and allow for differences so far as they were concerned with ethnology. Wjse and just though it might have been,' that attempt had not been accepted as such by all to whom the settlement was applied.

He had not lost hope yet in limitation of armaments and he would stick to Germany on that subject until she had declared; that she would not have anything to do with it. “But if she or any other country will not consider these things, then I think the situation becomes far more difficult,” he added.