BRITAIN AND FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 109, 1 February 1935, Page 11

BRITAIN AND FRANCE

Subjects For London Talks AGREEMENT OF 1932 Equality of Rights and Security System GERMANY AND LEAGUE (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, January 30. The British Ambassador in Baris. Sir George Clerk, has been in touch with M. Flandin and M. Laval, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of France respectively, with the object of arranging the lines upon which the discussions they will have with British Ministers in London shall proceed. These efforts to prepare the ground ■•ire normal and natural in view of the fact that the conversations will extend only over two days. The French Ministers reach London to-morrow, and the talks will take place on Friday and part of Saturday. M. Laval is expected to return to Paris ou Saturday afternoon, but M. Flandin may spend the week-end in the country with English friends. According to British newspapers the main aim of the British Ministers will be to “vitalise” the Geneva Agreement of December. 1932, which stipulated for equality of rights in a regime of security. Many developments have occurred since that time, and an apparent deadlock has been created through the insistence of Germany that her return to the League must depend upon the granting of equality in practice. and the insistence of the French Government that Germany’s return to the League is essential before a complete system of security can become negotiable. The British view, so the newspapers state, is tjiat these problems are essentially interdependent and must be dealt with and, “if possible, settled simultaneously.

Replying to an interpolation in the French Chamber yesterday, M. Lava! declared that the French Government had no selfish designs, and asked only that equal security should be obtained by every country. According to. the Paris correspondent of “The Times” (bis statement was intended to convey to the German Government an estimation of the goodwill they would find in Baris, if they would accept the minimum requirements of France in the matter of disarmament. Referring to ftie London visit, M. Laval described it as part of the normal and desirable co-operation of the French and British Governments where European questions were concerned. BRITISH PROPOSALS German Re-entry to League ARMAMENTS LIMITATION ( Received January 31, 11.55 p.m.) / London, January 31. Discussing to-day -tlie visit of M. Flandin. the “Morning Post’s” diplomatic correspondent says that Britain proposes that Germany reenter the League and accept limitation of armaments and that France agree to abrogate the military clauses of (he Versailles Treaty. French approval is by no means c< ( ■ tain and. in any case, unobtainable without bargaining. HITLER’S CLAIM Programme Well Advanced Berlin, January 30. "I asked for four years to fulfil my programme, but after two years I have already completed over two-thirds of it,” declared Herr Hitler in a proclamation ou tlie Nazis' second anniversary.