ITALY’S CLAIMS ON FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 154, 25 March 1939, Page 11

ITALY’S CLAIMS ON FRANCE

Speech By King Victor

Emmanuel

“MYTH OF PERPETUAL

PEACE”

By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. ROME, March 23. King Victor Emmanuel made a public speech today for the third time in the 30 years of his leign at the opening of the New Chamber of Fasci and Corporations. “Regarding France,” he said, “my Government, in an official Note on December 17, outlined Italy’s demands. “The sanctions at the time of the Abyssinian campaign began a crisis which caused Italy’s exit from the League of Nations, which had exhausted its purpose. “The friendship between Italy and Germany has served the purposes of political and cultural development.

“Italy, though not believing in the myth of perpetual peace, wants peace as long as possible, for which purpose she wants to develop her armed forces. The recent crumbling of artificial post-war constructions showed that difficult times were confronting the world. “The Anglo-Italian agreement has created conditions which should be enduring and fruitful.”

The French Foreign Office announced on December 22 that the Italian Government had notified the French Ambassador in Rome ou December 17 that Italy considered as null and void the Franco-Italian agreement regarding Tunisia signed in Rome on January 6, 1935, by M. Laval and Signor Mussolini. When that agreement was signed it was regarded as liquidating all outstanding issues between France and Italy, and, in particular, as settling the Tunisia question by regulating the status of the Italian colony in that territory. Because of the Ethiopian war, however, and the League of Nations sanctions against the Fascist Government, in which France participated, the exchange of ratifications of the 1935 accord was never effected. In denouncing the agreement the Italian Government requested the French Government to make fresh proposals under Article 13 of the Treaty of London of 1915, but they did not express any readiness to forgo the territorial advantages gained under the agreement. NO FORMAL DEMANDS MADE BARIS, March 23. It is officially denied that Italy has formally presented demands, as suggested in King Victor Emmanuel's speech.

Such of the cable news on this page as is so headed has appeared in “The Times’ and is cabled to Australia and New Zealand by special permission. It should be understood that the opinions are not those of “The Times’’ unless expressly stated to be so.