GERMANY’S NEW “PEACE OFFER” DUE

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 341, 23 January 1937, Page 5

GERMANY’S NEW “PEACE OFFER” DUE

HITLER WANTS TO EMBARRASS FRANCE IF POSSIBLE WILL BE SURPRISING IF HE TAKES A SINGLE STEP TOWARDS COLLECTIVE SECURITY. NEWSPAPER VIEWS ON EUROPEAN SITUATION. (Press Association—Copyright.) Received LONDON, January 22. While Herr Hitler is expected to make a new “peace offer,” including a guarantee of Belgian neutrality with the object of embarrassing France still further and detaching Flemish sentiment from her, he is not expected to give any real indications of a change of policy. The Berlin correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says that it would be surprising if Hitler takes a single step towards collective security. On the contrary, he will probably take the opportunity of disagreeing with much of Mr. Eden’s speech.

According to the correspondent of The Times, Germany wishes it to be understood that the time will never be ripe for a discussion of a European settlement in which she is expected to make political concessions for economic ones. Germany realises, with some resentment, that the British conception of European settlement is stiffer than before Christmas. Britain considers that the League, which Germany treats with ever-growing contempt, still plays an important part in Europe. The immediate value of Mr. Eden’s speech, following swift action in Morocco, has shown Germany the growing alertness of the Western Powers. The correspondent adds that Germany at least seems to realise that certain Nazi trends in respect to spain and elsewhere cannot longer be hidden in mists of words: A Brussels message says that while Belgium will not decline any neutrality guarantee from Germany, she recalls how Germany gave her a similar guarantee in 1914. Therefore she will not slacken her defence programme. ,