Approval Expected

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 204, 14 September 1937, Page 5

Approval Expected

(British Official "WirelesB.)

ANTI-PIRACY PLAN Hopes That Italy Will Co-operate MEDITERRANEAN PATR0L

(Reeeived 14, 1.30 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 13. It is anticipated that approval of the Nyon scheino for a patrol in the Medir terranean to combat piracy will be reeeived at Gencva withdn th© liext 24 hours and tliat possibly to-morrow, but certainly by Wednesday, the agreeir.ent will be i'ornially signed at Nyon. Britain and France, in patrolling the niain Mediterranean mercantile routes, vvill provide at least 00 destroyers botv. teii them, Britain contributing rathor m|re than half the nnmber. Russia will not take part in the Mediteranean patrol. Italy is to be invited by Britain and France to join in the work of patrol in furtherance of the express wish of the conference on Friday. If piracy wei-e to spread to the Black Sea, the Powers bordering that sea would co-operate amo'ng tliemsclves to stop it. In Geneva tlie Mediterranean plan is regarded as higlily satisfactory. London newspapers warmly approVe the proposals. The Times says that th© scheme is likely to prove a serious deterrent to further outrages against neutral Bhipping on the two great trade routes of the Mediterranean. If, as is hoped, the Italian Government decides to participate in the defence of neutrals against itnprovoked attaok on the Messina-Marseilles route and elsewhere, the co-operatidn of its powerful and highly-efficient flotillas slxould mahe the continuance of piracy quite impossible. In an case, the adhesion of the smaller Mediterranean States to the plan would be most gratifying to the British Government.