PLEDGE GIVEN

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 18, 14 October 1937, Page 5

PLEDGE GIVEN

Press Assn —

Belgian Inviolability GERMAN ASSURANCE Berlin Aims at a Neutral Western Frontier WATCH TOWARDS EAST

(By T^leKraDb--

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(Received 14, 10.55 a.m.) BEBLIN, Oct. 13. Baron von Neurath. Gerinan Foreign Minister, and the Belgian Minioter at Berlin have issued a joint statement announcing a guarantee to Belgium by Germany. It declares that Germany, takes note of Belgium 's determination to pursue a policy of independeace to prevent her territory from being used as a route of march or base of opera-. tions in any attack on a third Power. Germany stressea that Belgium 's jntegrity is the common intereet of the Western Powers and conflrms the .determination to respect Belgian inviolability except where Belgium, co-operates in military action against Germany in any armed conflict in which Germany is implicated. f Germany is ready, like England and France, to assist Belgium if she is attacked or invaded. A Note to this effect has been communicated to Italy. According to a London message, The Times Berlin correspondent eays; "Germany 's declaration to Belgium will be a unilateral assurance to respect the inviolability of Belgian territory unless other Powers use it as a military base. "The question of Belgian neutrality," the correspondent adds, "does not arise; nor are corresponding assurancee asked for-or offered; but it is supposed that Belgium has indicated that her territory must not be used for the purpose of military aggression against Germany. In other words, Belgium will not provide a passage for French troops or bases for British aircraft. "This will be a definite strategic advantage to Germany, as it will shorten the frontier she reqnires to defend. "It marks, too, an advance towards the objective of neutralising the westem frontier in the event of hostilities in east Europe." A Bome message reports that Signor Gayda% Signor Mussolini's mouthpiece, in the Giornale d'ltalia eays that Italy also will guarantee Belgium 's frontiers.' The Manchester Guardian's Berlin correspondent states that he learns o» good authority that a German-Belgian treaty of neutrality and . non-aggression, for which negotiations'have been proceeding since King Leopold's famous neutrality declaration, is espected to b« signed to-day. "The treaty, in the German view, will foitn the principal instrument for re-* placing the Locarno Pact and will eonstitute an important step in her'policj of protecting her western frontiers and avoiding tying her hands in the east," the correspondent adds. "Negotiations for a westem pact have apparently been given up. Thi New treaty, it is added, will render the western pact scheme superflmous." The Times comments thus on the agreement: "Germany regaira hei great error of 1914; Belgium gets all King Leopold asked for last year. The prospects of a western pact seen distant, but tho German declaration is a step ia the right diroction. "Belgium fully accepts the' Germaa caveat that, if she (Belgium) partici* pates in 'military action, the guarantee becomes null and void. She has eveiy xeason'to be s$tisfied, and feels that her ppsition has been strengthened,**