FRANCE AND EASTERN EUROPE.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 62, 6 December 1937, Page 6

FRANCE AND EASTERN EUROPE.

.While, as, above noted, the French have been stedfasciy asserting against Japan their rights in Shanghai, their Foreign Minister, M. Delbos, has set out on a mission of even greater import. Its purpose is to ascertain the real feeling among the countries of Eastern Europe that may, /n a general way be said to lie between Germahy and Russia. His first call lias been at arsaw, and there he would appear to have met with something like an enthusiastic reception that serves pretty well to dispel the earlier rumours that Germany w^s meeting with considerable success in undermining the entente between France and Poland. It is quite possible tbat recent Nazi movements in Danzig have aroused the Poles to a more thorough realisation that their main danger lies in Germany 's poiicy of eastward pressure. In any event, according to the reports received, there has been a very definite reaffirmation of the Franeo-Polish allianee that can scarcely be very palatable to Herr Hitler. There may also be a good deal of meaning to be read into the fact that the Polish welcome was supported by i'epresentatives of Czeehoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Rumania, a feature that may not be favouiably regarded by either Herr Hitler or his fellow-dictator Signor Mussolini. It is, of course, too carly yet to form any definite opinion as to the ultimate success of M. Delbos's tour. Not only will he have to set aright France 's own relations with the individual countries visitcd, but he will also have to attempt an ad,iiistinent of differences existing among them and possibly that will be his most difficult task. while also doubts with respect to the eventual intentions of France 's Russian ally will have to be overcomc. In any event, his progress through these countries wouid ajjpear to have been initiated with what look like happy portents that may not be altogether agreeable to the Rome-Berlin axis, and its further developments will be watched with a very great deal of interest.