LUGANO AFFORDED DIPLOMATS CHANCE FOR FRIENDLY PARLEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18642, 20 December 1928, Page 9

LUGANO AFFORDED DIPLOMATS CHANCE FOR FRIENDLY PARLEY.

(United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Received December 20, 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, December 19. Asked in the House of Commons l’or a statement about his conversations at Lugano, especially with regard to reparations and the evacuation of the Rhineland, Sir Austen Chamberlain said that he had little to add to the communique issued at Lugano by M. Briand, Dr Stresemann and himself. This was the first occasion on which they had met since March last, and it afforded them an opportunity for the removal of some of their misconceptions and for a very friendly interchange of views, such as has become customary whenever they met. No new decisions were either taken or sought. The reparations problem was being dealt with through the ordinary channels, and they did not attempt to duplicate the negotiations on the subject, which were centred in Paris. They agreed that the first thing to do was to secure the appointment of a Committee of Experts, and they hoped that the committee might get to work early in the New Year. Their discussion of other problems dealt with in the resolution come to by the Powers at Geneva last September was purely exploratory and declaratory in character, but he derived from it the impression that the circumstances were favourable to a solution in the public interest. He declined to say more at present.—British Official Wireless.