Offer to Belgium

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 8, 25 January 1937, Page 8

Offer to Belgium

Pro«s Assn.

■ 9 * • V PEACE GUARANTEE Germany Reminded of 1914; Broken Promise TROUBLE FOR FRANCE

(By Telesfrapli—

-vJ^pyrlght.)

LONDON, Jan. 22. While Herr Hxt^er is expected to make a new "peace offer," including a guarantee of Belgiaa neutrality witb tbe object of embarrkssiug France by still further detaching Flemisb sentiment from ber, be is not expected to give any real indications of a cbange of . policy. The "Daily Telegraph'g Berlin .cotw respondent says: "It would b© surprisingj if Herr Hitler takes a singl# 6tep towards collective security. On the contrary, he will probably taka the opoprtunity of disagreeing witb much of Mr. Eden's speech." According to '!The Timea'/ correspondent at Berlin, Germany wiehee i| to" be understood that the time wil| never be ripe for discussion of a European settlement in which she would be expected to * make political concessions for economic ones. Germany realises with some resentment that the British. concep'tion of a European settlement is stiffer than before Chriatmas. Britain considers that the League of Nations, which. Germany treate with over-growing contempt, still plays an important part in Europe. The immediate value of Mr. Eden's speech, following swift action in Morocco, hae shown Germany the ^Western Powera' growing alertness. I The correspondent adds: "Germany, at last seems to.. realise that certain Nazi trends in respect to Spain and elsewhere cannot longer be hidden in mists of words." . A Brussels message states that while Belgium will not decline a neutrality guarantee if offered, she recalls that Germany gjave her a similar guarantee in 1914. Therefore, she will not slacken' her defence programme.