LATIN-SLAV PACT FORMING.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 25 March 1926, Page 7

LATIN-SLAV PACT FORMING.

[Activities Of Little Entente. FRANCE ENVIOUS OF ITALY. By Cable —Press Association —Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received March 24, 5.5 p.m.) PARIS, March 23. The Jugo-Slav Foreign Minister (M. Nine-hitch) lias recently been busy on a pilgrimage to a number of European capitals. The Minister left Parts after tvhat the newspapers term an “interesting conversation.” M. Ninchiteh previously negotiated with the Italians at Rome, and at Geneva, where, according to French newspapers, the Italians sought a bilateral treaty, supplementing the existing Italo-Jugo-Slav Pact of friendship, but M. Ninchiteh desired the inclusion of France in that treaty. He is now taking back an offer from M. Briand of a treaty of friendship, designed to be co-lateral with any agreement subsequently concluded between . Belgrade and Rome, and, if adopted, would place France in the same relationship with Jugo-Slavin as with Czocho-Slovakin with an obligation of mutual assistance.

The fact that M. Ninchiteh has other irons on the fire is disclosod by an interview with the Greek Foreign Minister (M. Rouphos) at Belgrade, who said it was so satisfactory that ho expected to see a complete agreement reached between the two States. He added that though at, present it was premature to talk of the, concrete terms of a Balkan Pact, he was convinced all outstanding questions between the two States would be settled.