THE PACT.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18405, 11 June 1925, Page 9

THE PACT.

FRENCH REPORT DENIED. BRITAIN NOT PLEDGED. BOMINIONS BEING CONSULTED. DK CAULS—-PRESS ASSOCTATRJK'-COTWnWr.) (SSBSET "SCS" SSBVTtt.) (Eeceived June 10th, 7.05 p.m.) LONDON, June 9. It is officially denied in London that the Government is yet hound by any definite pledges. Mr Baldwin promises » full statement on Mr Chamberlain's Teturn. Meantime he is consulting the Dominions, whose support is uncertain. It is authoritatively announced tlat the statements, hased on inspired information from French sources, that Britain has entirely reversed ier traditional policy of isolation and pledged her whole armed Forces to war if <ihe Rhine frontier is violated, aTO an exaggeration, and that negotiations have only ji'st commenced with the sending of the. Note to Germany. The suggested Pact defines, hut does not increase, Britain's responsibilities. It is untrue that any violation "by Germany of the territorial or military ehuvses of the Treaty of Versailles womld be a casus belli for Britain, who reserves the right to make her own decision in such an eventuality. The proposal that France •should have the .right to.cross the demilitarised zone on the Ithine without seeking the sanction of the League of Nations, if Poland or Czeehn-Slovakia were attacked, caused the greatest difficulty in the- discussions between Britain' and France, and, now'that the general terms for discussion with Germany have been announced, French opinion is losing sight of the faet ihe pact will be a mutual one with Germany. In the case of a Franco-Ger-man clash there would ho an obligation for the British Government to assist Germany; if France were judged to be the aggressor. Moreover, the British viewpoint is that tho stipulations; of the Covenant of th« League of Nations must ta3s© precedence of all else.

PRESS COMMENT.

"FLAGRANT PROPAGANDA."

PACT WITH, NOT AGAINST,

GERMANY.

(ReccivcU June 10th, 8.43 p.m.) LONDON, June 9.

The ''Da% TetegrapV' emphasises that no draft of the Security Fact exists. Its terms will require the closest consideration by all parties, and at present Britain is engaged in consultation with the Dominions. The proposed Pact is not presented in the right proportions when it is described as if it were an agreement, to eater into an alliance against Germany. Hi© essence of th© prcpesal. ia tho mutuality of the guarantee, and no British Government trill be- a party tp any Pa.rt which does not assume the good- faith of all the signatories. Until the terms are disclosed it would he best to refrain from building an edifice of hopes arid assumptions where iihe foundation has yet ■to be laid.

, " Dopiorable Communique.'' There is the strongest criticism in several papers regarding the statement circulate:! throaghout the world on Monday purporting to give the terms of the Geneva agreement. Tha "Daily Express" editorially says: .It is a bad beginning that the meeting of Mr Chamberlain and M. Briand should be the occasion of a particularly flagrant case of misleading French semi-official propaganda. Tho ar.<nouncen:ent seems to iiave been deliberately circulated to put newspapers in Paris and London off the scent. No British Government which proposed to sign such a unilateral compact as the French statement suggested would exist six months, but in any ease it is deplorable that a communique of hhis kind, which misleads the.Press of two. countries regarding the nature and extent of an agreement at which .their Governments have r.rrivcd, should be issued at all.

The paper p.dds: It is quite dear that Mr Chamberlain had. authority to agree only to a bilateral Pact in which France and Germany would have identical interests r.nd responsibiliies. The Parliamentary correspondent of the "Daily Chronicle'' st«.ys: Talk about military alliance? and Britain placing the whole of her Navy, Army and Air Force at Frances's disposal is not justified by ar/vthinc yet done or contemplated. The Central News Agency learned last night from uuthoritAtive circles that the statement thus far issued regarding the agrecsiant are all exaggerations of the facts.

FRENCH OPINION.

IMPORTANCE OF AGREEMENT.

(AUSTRALIAN AND V..Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.)

PARIS, June 9.

Tlie newspapers emphasise the importance of the agreement between M. Briand and Mr Chamberlain on the Rhineland Security Pact. The "Petit Parisien" states that the proposed pact is superior to preceding drafts. It is no longer a question of Great Britain assisting France and Belgium, but a firm determination by Great Britain to defend her own security on the Rhine and the Scheldt. The '\Petit Journal" foresees a simir lar Franco-Italian-Austrian pact guaranteeing the frontiers of these .eoun-

tries. Mr Cbmnberlaia «nd 31. Briand are working to obtain *h© adhesion of: Italy to the Entente The "Echo de Paris" and "Pertinax" criticise the proposed pact. They 'declare that if such a system is confirmed it -will be the «nd ■of any independent far-seeing French, jpolicy. GERMANY WANTS) IN LEAGUE. ("TBI TWTS.") (Keccived Jane 10th, 7.35 p.m.) LOtKDGN, Jane 9. The political correspondent of <:r The: Times" says: When the- Pact Note which the French Government is sending to Berlin is published it will ho aeon that Mr Chamberlain made no concessions to Prance, which were unnecessary, because 31. Briand everywhere met British objections half-way. What is now wanted is a formal declaration that Germany is favourably disposed to the League of Nations. This is nroTe necessary since the French and British Governments are 'unanimous that her; entrance into the League is an essential condition, not only to the JPact, "but to; the whole settlement off Europe. (Received June 11th, 12.45 a-m.) Later information concerning tho proposed Security Pact shows that the intention is to make it absolutely ; bilateral and mutual in character, Britain's contribution nnder the aegis | of ,tbe League of Nations being a guarantee of the existing Rhino frontiers' against aggression Iwth from France and Germany. The essential preliminary to the operation of the Pact will be •Germany's entry into the League..

LABOUR OPPOSITION. "CREATES WAR ORGANISATION.** (ATJSTBALIAN ABD 3JJi. CABL* ABBOCHHtCr.) LGNBOK, June 9. Mr Bamsay MncDostald has sunt a message to Mr P. J. Dalian, Laboor «aadidate at the Ayr Buigghs by-election, denouncing the Conservative Governmeat's handling of foreign affairs, declaring, inter alia, that fhe Labour Government 's work in pacifying Europe has been largely undone. • "We steadily decline once mere," he says., "into that network©! military is* viiplomacy which requires armies for its support and eventually brings them I to battle.'* \ Mr Mac Donald, interviewed by the < "Daily Herald,',' said: "The -wholei Labour Party will oppose the agreement as the beginning, not of a general understanding to maintain peace, but of individual pacts and alliances. It creates an organisation for "war and it is an attempt to supersede the League of. Nations as a treaty-making medium."

CANADA "NOT A PARTY." .',■'.'■", ■;.;;•- • (SEUTKt'S TELBOBAHa) OTTAWA, June $. Answering a question in tire House of Commons the Prime Minister, -Mr AV, L. Mackenzie King, stated that Canada was not a party to any security pact in connexion with the Rhine. , GERMAN VIEW: !; {Sront "Sex" Slavics.) (Receked June 10th, 7155 p.m.) LONDON, June a. '\ The first German comment upon the Pact is: "If it is true that France obtains any right to march through Germany the Pact is impossible."