FRENCH POLICY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 103, 22 December 1931, Page 5

FRENCH POLICY

(Press. Assn.—

debts and tariffs WILL NOT SACRIFICE REPARATIONS OR SECURITY * * i • STATEMENT BY PREMIER

-By Telegraph — Copyright).

PARIS, Sunday. Emphasising that circumstances compel all Governments to practice national protection while proclaiming the necessity for international cooperation, the Prime Minister, M. Laval, speaking at a meeting said: "It is not enough to increase tariffs, we must protect the home market by quotas, aeting with caution in order to prevent an over-great lowering of imports in which the trade balance must be the guide." Referring to reparations, M. Laval declared that France at the forthcoming conf erence would adopt the attitude that Germany's position should he estimated for the period of economic depression and would al8o refuse to agree that reparations should be saerificed to private debts. He added that in view of the American attitude, the 'Governments had been dallying with the audacious theory of concellation of war debts and reparations. A listener interj'ected: "Hold fast." M. Laval replied (amid cheers): "That's my hahit. I do not intend to allow the Young Plan to be torn up." The Premier added that France at the Disarmament Conference would show that the country hated war, and her army was solely a defensive measure. France would not refuse to ?onsider schemes for mutual assistance, but would not compromise her security.