ATTACKS ON FRANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 January 1939, Page 5

ATTACKS ON FRANCE

PRESS CAMPAIGN RESUMED IN ITALY

LORD HALIFAX’S ASSURANCE.

STRENGTH OF LONDON-PARIS TIES.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON. January 16.

The correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” in Rome says that Mr Chamberlain’s arrival at London coincided with a recrudescence of the dispute between Italy and France. Italians think that justice will not reign in the Mediterranean till Italy’s aspirations are satisfied.

The Rome correspondent of “The Times,” in pointing out that a pause in the Press campaign against France coincided exactly with Mr Chamberlain’s stay in Rome, expressed the belief that the only explanation of the fresh incitement of public opinion against France is that Italians are being prepared for whatever action the Government may take.

During the meeting of the League Council in Geneva yesterday the British Foreign Minister, Lord Halifax, entertained the French Foreign Minister, M Bonnet, at dinner and reported on the Rome talks.

The representative of the British United Press at Geneva says that Lord Halifax admitted to Mr Bonnet that the most pessimistic phase of the Rome conversations concerned Signor Mussolini’s intimation that, if and when General Franco was victorious in Spain, Italy would feel freer to push her other claims. Lord Halifax, however, reiterated that Britain would not stand by unmoved if France were attacked. He added that Mr Chamberlain informed Signor Mussolini that the Lon-don-Paris ties were at least as strong as the Rome-Berlin axis. Accordingly, there would be no repetition of Munich regarding French territory.

TROOPS IN SOMALILAND. REPORTED ITALIAN CONCENTRATION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. .PARIS, January 17. . The Jibuti correspondent of the “Paris Soir” reports new concentrations of Italian troops in Somaliland. He says that Blackshirts and armed natives are manning the first lines and regulars are occupying the second. Intensive military activity prevails several kilometres behind the frontier. GERMAN WARNING. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. BERLIN, January 16. The German Press combines warnings to France against intervention in Spain with statements that the demands against France will not be made in their final form before General Franco’s victory, which is a matter of weeks. f BATTLESHIP LAUNCHED REPLY TO ITALIAN NAVAL PROGRAMME. BALANCE OF CAPITAL SHIPS AND OTHER CRAFT. By Telegraph—Press ’Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) BREST, January 17. The battleship Richelieu, the first of a series of 35,000 thousand ton battleships has been launched. It represents France’s reply to Italy’s naval programme and brings up the strength of the battle fleet to the equivalent of her cruiser, destroyer and submarine fleet for the first time since the Great War.