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Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 November 1938, Page 5

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MR CHAMBERLAIN ON TALKS IN PARIS SATISFACTORY EXCHANGE OF VIEWS. AGREEMENT ON GENERAL POLICY. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 28. In a statement in the House of Commons on the Paris talks, Mr Neville Chamberlain said: The Foreign Secretary and I were very glad to accept the cordial invitation of the French Government to visit Paris and take advantage of the opportunity of resuming conversations with the French Ministers. “I should like to express our warm appreciation of the very gratifying welcome we received from the French Governrpent and the people of Paris. “Views were exchanged on the principal questions in which the two countries have common concern, including matters of national defence as well as diplomatic action. We found ourselves in complete agreement on general policy, which in both cases finds its main objective in the preservation and consolidation of peace. “As the purpose of the meeting was the exchange of views rather than to take decisions I am not in a position to make a more detailed statement on the conversations.” No new decision on the granting of belligerent rights to General Franco was reached as a result of the Paris talks. This was made clear by Mr Chamberlain in another statement. THE SPANISH PROBLEM. Mr R. A. Butler, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, informed a member who asked what conditions remained to be satisfied before the NonIntervention Committee’s plan for granting belligerent rights should be put into force that the plan must first be accepted by Franco. Then “substantial progress,” as defined by the committee, must be made in the withdrawal of foreign nationals from both sides. Mr Butler also intimated that the secretary of the NonIntervention Committee had been unable while in Burgos to secure any modification of Franco’s proposal to accept the plan. When asked if any Italian or German troops with war material had arrived in Spain during recent weeks, Mr Butler said that |such information as had been received would indicate that some assistance had been received from these countries during the last two months. Asked whether Britain was in certain circumstances committed to send expeditionary forces to France and whether as a result of his Paris visit there had been any increase in such commitments, Mr Neville Chamberlain replied: “The answer is in the negative.”

He also told the Leader of the Opposition, Mr C. R. Attlee, that no decisions were taken in Paris regarding defence which involved obligations for Britain.