MOVED TO GENEVA

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1935, Page 5

MOVED TO GENEVA

EUROPEAN ACTION SCENE

STRESA “WORD-SPINNING”

THE PRESS MORE HOPEFUL

CONFIDENCE IN AUSTRIA

By Telegraph—Press Assn.-^ —CopyrightRec. 5.5 p.m. London, April 15. Cabling to hte Daily Mail from Stresa Mr. Ward Price says the world is as safe as words cap make it, but Britons should not delude themselves into thinking that three and a half days of word-spinning has changed the facts of the situation. The scene has now moved to Geneva, where condemnation of Germany’s breach of the Versailles Treaty will be formally registered, though probably Germany will not be mentioned by name. The Times in a leading article says collective diplomacy has justified itself at Stresa. “Even if a perfect system was only dimly outlined by the conference the Powers at least renewed contact with the principal absentee,” the paper adds.

The Stresa correspondent of the Times says well informed opinion is that while Britain has undertaken no new and has extended no old commitments she has collected and presented existing ones in a form more effective than if they were read separately. Her policy was not to exchange friends but to increase friendship among them in order to maintain and promote peace. The divergencies of the views of the members attending the conference are everywhere acknowledged as of minor importance. The Daily Herald expresses doubts whether the statesmen at Stresa fully realised the vast implications of the decision to ask the League of Nations Council to study the question of applying penalties to States which violate treaty obligations. “They are seeking to supplement the system of collective security by a system of collective conservatism,” the paper adds. “The League has no power or right to take action against a State unless it makes war; nor has an aggrieved State such a right. If a State “A” breaks a treaty and “B” and ‘C” use coercive measures they themselves will thereby become aggressors.” The French Press generally greets the result of the conference with satisfaction. Several papers pay tribute to the goodwill and understanding of Mr. MacDonald and Sir John Simon. A Vienna message says that Austria now feels that her independence is secure. It is generally believed that Germany will conclude a bilateral pact of non-aggression with Austria, while Hungary is expected to adopt a similar attitude. The general feeling in southern and eastern Europe is that the immediate threat of war has been eliminated.