Commoners Curious About Those Pacts

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 600, 28 February 1929, Page 9

Commoners Curious About Those Pacts

FRANCO-BELGIUM SCARE BRITAIN NOT CONCERNED British Official Wireless Reed. 11.14 a.m. RUGBY, Wed. The Foreign Secretary, Sir Austen Chamberlain, is suffering from a chill, and is confined to his room. Mr. G. T. Locker-Lampson, his Under-Secretary, answering questions iu the House of Commons, said he did so owing to Sir Austen's indisposition. Answering a series ot questions regarding the Franco-Belgian militarv convention of 1920, he said: "The text of the Notes exchanged between the French and the Belgian Governments recording their reciprocal approval of the military understanding signed on September 7, 1920, the object of which was stated to be reinforcement of the guarantees of peace and security resulting from the Covenant of the League of Nations, was registered with the League in November of 1920. I have not seen the text of the military agreement, which, of course, was not made public.”

NoioZ Wireless RUGBY. Wed

Mr. Locker-Lampson said that apart from the Treaty of Locarno no agreement involving military committments has been concluded since the war between this country and Belgium, and no military agreement or understandI ing is in existence between the British General Staff and that of any forj eign country. j “I may add,” he said, "that no British military attache at Brussels i has on any occasion even discussed the I question.”