MUTUAL SUPPORT

Marlborough Express, Volume LX, Issue 228, 27 September 1926, Page 5

MUTUAL SUPPORT

ITALO-BRITISH TREATY COUNTERACTING FRANCE ANE GERMANY. QUESTIONS OF EUROPEAN POLIGY.

[Press Associaxion.J

Aus. and N.Z. Cable Association.

(Received Sept. 26, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 25. Tlie Daily Telegraph's Rome eoruesjiondent states: "Aceording to ni important per.sonage a treaty between italy and Britain for niutunl support on all questions concerning • tlie Medit&rranean and general European policy vvill be suggested to Bir Austen Chamberlain at a nieetmg with Signor Musisolini, which tlie Italian press negards is eertain to be beld very shortly. Signor Mussojnu is stated to be influenced main"y by tlie prospect of an effeetiv© understanding between Germany and France. According to tlie iniormation italy would be bound to | ko into aceount the attitude oi b rance towards Austria's annexation by Germany, which the Treaty of \ ersailles forbids, but which is alJ*oady assumed to be possible in Rome." "Siich annexation would ihean for r rance only the addition of seven or eight millions to Germany's population, but to Italy it would niean that where as sho has seven million Austrians as neigbbors there would benceforward be a population of severity-two million Germans on her trontier, and Germany's frontier ■would be removed from Ravaria to Brenner. Thus, in plaee of a weak Austria, Italy would look across ber Irontier upon the miglit of Germany. Previously Italy had taken for granted the support of France as wel.l as Poland and Czecho- S1 ov aki a .'in her veto against annexation, based upon solemn treaty obligations, but if the F ranco-German understanding is achieved, oue of the pilhars of Italian (policy will have been undermined. Tbe, informant added that it was only natural in that event that Italv would eonsider the possibiliiy of a new grouping."