TURNING POINT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 January 1939, Page 8

TURNING POINT

IN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS

MR CHAMBERLAIN ON ROME VISIT. REPORTED STATEMENT TO CABINET. Bv Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, January 18. The Australian Associated Press says Mr Chamberlain told Cabinet 1 that .events of the next few months might reveal that the Rome visit was a turning point in European affairs. He proposed to invite Count Ciano (Italian Foreign Minister) to make a return visit after the President ol France! i M. Albeit Lebrun) and Madame Lebrun had visited London. Mr Chamberlain announced that he was informing Parliament of Signor Mussolini's assurance that Italy would respect the Anglo-Italian Agreement in its entirety and added that while the Rome-Berlin ties undoubtedly were strong, there did not appear to be any concrete agreement on future policy. There was no possibility of Italy withdrawing her troops from Spain before the end of the'war, but little likelihood of increased intervention. Lord Halifax stated that at present there was no indication that the Spanish issue was causing a crisis in France, although there was an agitation for the removal of M. Bonnet from the Cabinet. His successor probably would be M. Chautemps, whose views were not vitally different from M. Bonnet’s.

REQUEST REJECTED NO IMMEDIATE MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

MR CHAMBERLAIN REPLIES TO MR ATTLEE.

(Received This Day, 12.57 p.m.) RUGBY, January 18. Mr Chamberlain, replying to Mr Attlee’s request for an immediate meeting of Parliament, says he has

given careful consideration to a report, which apparently is based pn the view that the time has come when the policy of non-interven-tion should be reversed and the em-

bargo on the supply of arms and munitions to the Spanish Government removed. In the Government's opinion, such a course would inevitably lead to an extension of the conflict, with consequences which could not accurately be foreseen, but would admit-

tedly be grave. the Government is not, as it is at present advised, prepared to adopt such a course,” Mi’ Chamberlain stated, “and in these circumstances it sees no advantage in anticipating the day on which Parliament is due to meet in less than a fortnight.”

DALADIER’S DECISION RELIANCE ON MUSSOLINI’S UNDERTAKING. OPINIONS ACUTELY DIVIDED IN FRANCE. By Tplegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 1.45 p.m.) PARTS, January 18. Despite Left Wing clamour, M. Daladier has definitely decided against opening the Pyrenees frontier for the passage of arms to Spain. M. Bonnet (Foreign Minister) at a meeting of Cabinet, upheld the policy of strict non-intervention, quoting Signor Mussolini's undertaking given to Mr Chamberlain to withdraw all Italian forces after the war and to ro:.pcct the status quo in the Mediterranean.

Cabinet approved ih<- decision, though some Ministers did so reluctantly, and also agreed that France’s foreign policy- must be the protection of her vital imperial interests against attack and the closest collaboration with Britain.

The foreign affairs debate r.f January 17 is to bo resumed on January 19. It is becoming clear that the vote which is expected on January 20 will I’eally be a* l ' or against intervention. It is hinted that the Government will evade a direct issue by promising "to examine the situation with the greatest vigilance."

A Right Wing Deputy, M. Henri de Kerillis, has sent a letter to M. Daladier asking for a secret session of the Chamber, so that the military chiefs may give an assurance or otherwise whether it is possible that France alone, or with Britain, can assume the defence of the Empire already threatened by Italian and German claims.