PROPOSED PACT

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 82, 31 December 1934, Page 7

PROPOSED PACT

French Minister to Visit Rome BRITAIN’S INTEREST Guaranteeing Austria’s Independence TWO POWERS SAID TO HAVE ENDORSED PLAN By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received December 30, 6.30 p.m. London, December 29. It is expected that M. Laval, French Foreign Minister, will go to Rome on February 12 in connection with tlie signing of a Franco-Italian pact. Britain is so interested ,that Sir John Simon, Foreign Secretary, who is spending a holiday at Cannes, may cross the frontier to confer with Signor Mussolini. Tlie Paris correspondent of the “Daily Express” says that M. Laval’s final proposals for a Franco-Italian agreement, which were ‘telegraphed to Rome, suggest: (1) A protocol guaranteeing Austrian independence signed by Italy, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Germany and Hungary as geographical neighbours, also by France and Rumania.. (2) Signatories who are geographical neighbours mutually guarantee their frontiers. (3) If Germany and Hungary prefer to .reserve their attitude, the signatures of Italy, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia are to be secured and the protocol left open to the others. It is stated that Czechoslovakia ami Rumania have already endorsed the proposals and a favourable reply is expected from Yugoslavia. Doubtful points are: Will Hungary surrender or suspend its revisionist policy and will Italy accept stabilisation of existing frontiers.