THE Wairarapa Age WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1936. AN UNPROMISING DRIFT.

Wairarapa Age, 22 July 1936, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1936. AN UNPROMISING DRIFT.

Locarno talks between Britain, France, and Belgium, it was announced at the end of last week, are to open in London to-day. By Britain, at all events, this meeting is intended to be preliminary to another at a later date attended by all five of the Locarno Powers—Germany and Italy in addition to those just named. Admittedly, Britain hopes to approach by this route a general European settlement. An Official Wireless message on Saturday last which mentioned the hope of bringing about an ultimate meeting of the five Locarno Powers added:— This objective could only be attained by stages, but the British Government desires to’ avert the division of Europe into blocs and counter-blocs such as preceded the events of 22 years ago, by taking the initiative toward a general settlement. The British Government is not prepared to admit that the effort at conciliation contained in the London proposals of March 19, failed. The British proposals here mentioned were that the Locarno Treaty should be regarded as intact, that the general staffs of the five signatories should arrange in concert the technical conditions in which the guarantees of mutual assistance should be applied, that Germany should be asked to submit the Rhineland problem to the Hague Court, provision being made for the maintenance of order and security on the frontier while the dispute was before that court, and finally, in the event of Germany agreeing to these proposals, that a comprehensive programme of international amity and cooperation should be proceeded with. These are. admirable aims, but unfortunately there is no visible prospect of their being brought any nearer to realisation. On the contrary, Germany in particular is making notable headway at present in that division of Europe’ into blocs which Britain is anxious above all things to prevent. A roundabout and rambling attempt to reconstitute the Locarno Pact can only be regarded as a pathetically ineffective reply to the menacing march of actual events in Europe to-day. It does not improve the outlook that Germany contends that the Locarno Treaty was violated in the first instance by France when that country concluded its pact wi*h Soviet Russia. To the garrisoning of the Rhineland there has been added, in any case, the agreement between Germany and Austria, to which Italy is more or less definitely a party. It is being suggested in Vienna that Germany is building up a bloc which includes, not only the nations just named, -but a number of the smaller Central European States. All the more in view of the Nazi attack on the League that is being carried on meantime in Danzig, it seems only too likely that Germany’s activities may culminate dramatically, if not disastrously, while Britain’s well-intention-ed approaches to a consideration of the reconstitution of the, Locarno Treaty are still drifting along at some entirely inconclusive stage. Much more direct methods appear to be demanded if anything at all is to be done towards lifting, or even modifying the menace that now hangs over Europe.

SUPREME COURT SITTINGS. In a letter which came before the Borough Council last evening, the Minister of Justice (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason) stated that he saw no good Second Editorial • reason for the reinstatement of Supreme Court sittings in Masterton. The statement is so remarkable as almost to compel the acceptance of a conclusion that the Minister has never had the facts relating to the suspension of Supreme Court in Masterton placed before him. Those who have looked into the question at all events are aware that the suspension has imposed a great deal of additional and needless expense on individuals and tho country. Litigants and witnesses belonging to this district who now have to go to Wellington necessarily have to spend much more time in do- 1 ing so than if the cases in question were heard locally. This, with all due respect to the Minister of Justice, is an excellent and weighty reason for re-

instating Supreme Court sittings in Masterton. If there are considerations which are held to justify the suspension, Mr. Mason has not mentioned them. His letter to the Borough Council may be expected to strengthen an opinion widely held here and' elsewhere in the Wairarapa' that Supreme Court sittings in Masterton were suspended with a complete disregard - of the merits of the matter and of' the principal public and private interests involved.