FRANCE WARNED.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 January 1924, Page 1

FRANCE WARNED.

BY Bit IT ISI L PREMIER. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. PARIS, Jail. 27. Interviewed by the newspaper "Quotidien,” the organ ot the French Left. Bloc, Mr MacDonald declared that British public opinion was uneasy in regard to French policy. The two peoples, at heart, were most friendly. The dangerous clouds of to-day were due to misunderstandings which frank and sympathetic explanations would clear up. The Reparations Expert Committee would not be able to find a satisfactory solution within the narrow limits laid down. The question of France’s debt to Britain could not be broached without discussing the whole European situation, mid similarly in regard to the Anglo-French guarantee pm I

Socialists, he said, did not believe that the safety of a nation should depend on armaments or alliances.

’ihi- British Government would work for the admission of Germany and Russia to the League of Nations. Germany's entry into the League would he the best guarantee of safety for France. An entirely new international policy ought to he inaugurated, and the prejudices and tricks of the old diplomacy should lie abandoned. Mr MacDonald said he refused to believe that they would fail to establish a friendly Entente with France. Ho was relying on the good sense and the peaceful intentions of the French people, who would support the policy of Labour in delivering Europe from its hatreds and fears. Labour would favour the accession to power ol the Gonnaii democrats, who certainly were sincerely pacifist, and were disposed to pay reparations. The Separatist movement in W estt*m Germany, lit* said, was not a spontaneous one. \ i did not concern Hrilain, hut the Labour Government would not recognise any Separatist Government. Y ARNING TO TRESS TRUSTS. LONDON. January 28. In concluding his interview with the Paris “Quotidian,’’ .Mr ’Railway MacDonald made relerenee to the newspaper trusts which had recently sprung no in Britain, Germany, France, and America. Before long, he said, these trusts doubtless would tend to work internationally. lie believed that some measures might to ho taken to make it impassible to poison public opinion. The news agencies ought not to be able to circulate falsified news, intended to create opinion.

Tlie Government, lie declared, eventually must act to preserve the press from corruption or from control by oligarchies.

The references to the press are specially significant. Ibe ‘Quutidicii’ in Paris s first co-opcratii el.v owned non-party newspaper, with the motto “Founded by forty thousand French men and women to defend and perfect ropublietiu institutions.” The paper was only

; ;.taHi.-licd in TJ22, ill tile teeth ol the leg dailies, winch at templed to boycott it. Now it has a circulation ol mo millions weekly.

STRAIGHT TALK TO FRENCH. LONDON, January IN London ucAspuper.-, feature icprod parts. c!' the Farit, payer JuctidieaV' inter'it tth Mr Jtaus-.-,i\ MacDonald. 1 lew dc,'l ■> "the I’rime Minister's frank talk with France.'' Replying tn tlio interviewer's euijuiiy I'm tliu reasons for tin l widolyI levalent irritation felt l>y tlie Fng-li-h people against Fiance, .Mr MacDonald said that the British people reproached France, first, with the occupation of the linin’, which they believe to he the principal cause of Britain's conoinic distress, and with not having enough consideration lor the general interests of Europe, or the partis ular interests of Britain; and also with giving moral and financial encouragement to smaller nations in the matter of armaments, which tended inevitably to lead to another war. .Air .MacDonald did not v.Tsh to emphasise the British business men’s anxiety regarding the prospects ol French iiaiustrial rmnbiuntion.s. or the wide scopi for the people's fears arising out of too extent of the French aerial armaments, hut the Biifish people were alarmed, and were beginning to ask whether alliances should he sought elsewhere, though the Bahoitrifes did noi believe that armaments and alliances made for security. Bums]! blsixess losses a FACTOR. ■I‘A'RIS. January 27. .Mi Ramsay MacDonald, in hi.s interviow with the Quotiden”, said that Britain's criticism of France was directed against the occupation of the Ruhr, on the ground that it was causing economic distress in Britain, anil also against the French financiers cucotiraginp, smaller nations to increase their armaments. Britain was considering wfielher she should not make mihtar,' preparations and seek a new alliance, 'file British public was alarmed at France’s great aerial armaments.