FRANCE AND GERMANY

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1931, Page 5

FRANCE AND GERMANY

AT VARIANCE

(United Prega Association—By jfitactrio Telegraph-—Copyright.)

GENEVA. May 16

There lias been a short, bitter encounter here between M. Briand (French Foreign Minister), and Dr Curtius (German Foreign Minister), it indicates marked 1* rauco-Gernuui tension.

Or Cutius ba s informed the Euro. ,pean Union Commission that Germany is determined to carry out the Austro'Gennan (Customs) Zollverein and that Germany invited European co-opera-tion. There were thirteen currencies, he said, and nine Customs zones that ha t | been created isince the wa>', involving thirteen thousand mi.es of additional tariff walls. M. Briand denied that Customs was the whole problem. France could not accept Dr Curtins’s suggestions for an illegal Customs Union.

Dr Curtius, amid excitement, angrily replied that it was for the League Council to decide, whether the proposed Zollverein was legal or illegal. The passage between M. Briand and Dr Curtius caused a painful shock.

Dr Curtiiis's actual words in inviting co-operation were: "I am prepared to take an exchange of views of all countries, large and small, upon the possibilities of establishing this Customs union. I hog you to seriously examine the invitation.’’

M. Ponc-et fired a series of Mack sides at the Austro-Germim scheme, and he declared that it could be effective only if ’it led to a political union of Germany ami Austria. Customs unions, he said wore calculated to aron.se uneasiness and to create liiai groups and promote economic war!are. He presented a. project providing for tVi e organisation of European markets for the disposal of surplus wheat, the development of economic and industrial cartels, an agricultural bank., and European loans under the aegias ol the League.