THE PEACE OF EUROPE.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXI, 12 January 1922, Page 5

THE PEACE OF EUROPE.

INVITATIONS TO GENOA. Per Press Association —Copyright. LONDON, Jan. 10. Australia, New Zealand, the other Dominions, and Ireland have been invited to the Genoa Conference. ANGLO-FRENCH PACT DRAFTED Cannes, January 11. The Anglo-French pact has been drafted, and copies sent to London and Paris. Correspondents state that Italy and Belgium are anxious to join the Alliance, but M. Briand is opposing any widening of its scope. Mr Lloyd George •is anxious to publish details of the pact in orde r to show the scope of the propsed Alliance, but M. Briand is still hopeful of modification.

Italy considers that a purely Franco-British Treaty would certainly r esult in the creatioii of a counter lefensive alliance, which Italy, and possibly Germany, would be forced to join. ■lt is understood that the Tangiers problems and Angora are being considered in connexion with the pact, while the submarine question is the subject of a separate memorandum. MUST CONSULT DOMINIONS. Cannes, January 11. Britain will be unable to conclude the pact with France without referring it to the Dominions. TO RENDER WAR REMOTE. Cannes, January 11. M. Briand, inte r viewed, said that Britain must conform to the policy fixed by the Dominions at the Imperial Conference She, therefore, refuses to conclude a military agreement with France covering other than France’s eastern frontier. It is for Britain to decide whether - the Anglo-French pact be extended to Italy. France wishes to conclude with her Italian neighbour all the economic and political agreements which are likely to strengthen the bonds between the two countries. There had arisen at Cannes the conception of a vast policy embracing all the frontiers of Europe which are susceptible to the outbreak of war.

Mr Briand continued: — “Farreaching agreement has been envisaged similar to the Pacific agreement, compelling all countries summoned to Genoa to guarantee the integrity of their frontiers. Such an agreement, when added to the Anglo-French agreement, would render the possibility of war very distant.” NEGOTIATIONS OBSCURE. • London, yesterday. Much obscurity prevails regarding negotiations at Cannes, especially as regards the position of the Polo-French pact. France is anxious that the British should guarantee her security. Britain is no less anxious to make it clear that she will not be embroiled by any future provocative act on the part of France; but she is willing to assist France against unprovoked agression without establishing an irrevocable military alliance. The French reported that the Ger-man-Polish negotiations are proceed ing satisfactorily in Silesia. STORMY FRENCH CABINET. Paris, yeste r day. According to the Echo de Paris, yesterday’s meeting of the Cabinet was stormy. A request was sent to M. Briand that he was not to pledge himself on any matte r without reference to the Cabinet. Opinions in the lobby and among deputies genera Uy, agreed that the Cannes Conference is pursuing an unsatisfactory course. POLITICAL CRISIS FEARED. Paris, yeste r day. Political circles are excited, and it is feared tha a political crisis is in the ai r . The council of Ministers asked by the President of the Council to give their opinion on the projected agreement at Cannes expressed itself in a sense altogether opposed to M. Briand. It is probable that various problems will have to be thrashed out again. THE LATEST ROCK. Paris, yeste r day. The latest rock encountered by the Entente is Tangie r s, in which connexion, according to Le Temps’ correspondent at Cannes, Britain has adopted the Spanish viewpoint, and seeks to make France accept it. It is pointed out that Spain desires the incorporation of Tangiers in | the Spanish Morocco zone.