FLANDIN HITS OUT.

Wairarapa Age, 22 March 1935, Page 5

FLANDIN HITS OUT.

CRITICISM OF THE HITLER DECLARATION. MODIFICATION OF TREATIES & LEGALITY. /Received. Thursday, 9.40 p.m.) LONDON, March 21. The speech of the Premier (M. Flandin) in the Senate is regarded as historic and certainly was characterised hy fearless frankness. He traversed Herr Hitler’s declaration point hy point and said Franco-German reconciliation could not be based on a travesty of truth and negation of law and justice. It was untrue that the German people had laid down their arms after a war which they had not wanted, he declared. The world’s judgment in regard to responsibility for unchaining the war had been given long ago, while if the German people laid down their arms it was because a coalition of nations fighting for right was victorious, as it would be victorious in future. These passages were received with loud cheers. Declaring that it was untrue that Germany had fulfilled her obligations under the Treaty, M. Flandin declared that modifications of treaties were possible, but only within the framework of legality. “France hates war and all measures for the maintenance of peace will be taken,” he said. “The Government will not cease in its efforts to group round itself a powerful block of States which have preserved the same ideals as ourselves. Let us retemper and recreate the national soul and re-establish unity. Do not doubt that France has near her a whole train of nations who will join ier in the hour of danger.”