STRESA RESULT

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1935, Page 5

STRESA RESULT

THREE POWERS AGREE

EASTERN SECURITY PLAN

AUSTRIA’S INDEPENDENCE

BREACHES OF THE TREATY

FULFILMENT OF LOCARNO

British Wireless. Rugby, April 14. At the Stresa conference to-day a meeting was held at which the main business was formal approval of a communique. In the opinion of the British delegation the conference made a really substantial contribution towards clearing up the political tangle into which European affairs had of late degenerated. The dominating fact that emerged from the conversations was the unity of views between the British, French and Italian Governments, as weir as their community of interests in the maintenance of European peace. It- was never contemplated that Britain would assume fresh commitments at the conference, and she has not done so, but the existing commitments have been so grouped and re-emphasised as to give them more significance than they might otherwise have seemed to possess. The communique issued states that the representatives of the Governments in the light of the recent exchanges of views of Germany’s decision to rearm and to the information obtained by the British Ministers during their visits to various capitals found themselves in complete agreement on the various matters discussed.

COMMON LINE OF ACTION.

First, they agreed upon a common line of action to be followed during the discussion of the French appeal to the League of Nations regarding German rearmament. Second, information which . they received has confirmed their views that negotiations should be pursued to develop security in Eastern Europe. Third, they examined afresh the Austrian situation and confirmed the Anglo-French-Italian attitude to be taken in the event of a breach of integrity of Austria. They agreed to recommend that the representatives of all governments enumerated, in the Rome protocol should meet at a very early date with a view to concluding a Central European agreement. Fourth, as regards the proposed air pact for Western Europe they confirmed that the principles and procedure of the declarations in which the three Governments recognised the maintenance of independence and integrity of Austria should continue to inspire their common policies. Regarding the Franco-Italian protocol on January 7 and the Anglo-French declaration on February 3, in which the decision was reaffirmed to consult together as to the measures to be followed, which should be those of the London communique of February 3, it was agreed to continue actively to study the question with a view to drafting a pact between the five Powers mentioned at London. The communique goes on to state that the representatives of the three Powers took careful note of the report made by Sir John Simon on his visit to Herr Hitler at Berlin, and it was regretfully recognised that'- repudiation by the German Government of the clauses of the Treaty of Versailles had occurred at the same time as negotiations were in progress for a settlement of the armament question and that this was harmful to the cause of peace.

In a special paragraph of the communique mention is made of the fact that Britain and Italy reaffirmed their engagements under the Locarno Treaties and would faithfully fulfil them. Finally the three Powers • pledged themselves to collective maintenance of peace and condemned a unilateral breach of treaties.. The communique is to be communicated to Belgium and Germany.