Evening star., 1925-06-09
BRITISH PRESS STARTLED.
Proposed Plan Upsets Traditional
Policy of Nation.

LONDON, June 9 CP).-The British
government today gave official ac-
acknowledgements of the Franco British
agreement on the reply to Germany's
security pact proposal announced at
Geneva yesterday. The British gov
eminent Issued a statement erf1pha-
aizing that the proposed pact is one
of mutual assistance.
The statement said that Great
Britain has guaranteed to protect
both sides of the Rhine and there
fore to assist either Germany or
France against aggression of the
other.
This abandonment by Great Britain
of her long g-standing policy of isolation
from continental affairs is a conces-
sion to the peace and security of
Europe, the statement said.
The statement added that accep-
tance of the pact by the allies, If
approval is given it by Germany, is
contingent upon Germany's entrance
into the League of Nations. Before
the pact can function 1t will be neces-
sary for Germany to enter the league
as a full member, which is an entire
change of the former policy under
which it had been maintained that
Germany should become conditional
member of the league before secur-
ity could be discussed.
League to Guard East.
The security pact is subsidiary to
the League of Nationas, the statement
clearly pointed out. The leagues
agreements regarding the eastern
frontiers of Germany. which are
closely allied to the security pact, take
precedence over the pact, which will
he registered with the league as its
Guardian for fultillmnt.
In effect the pact is an entente be-
tween European powers, as a success
sor TO the treaty Of 1889, the famous
scrap of paper treaty which was
supposed TO guarantee the security of
Belgium. The new pact, however, is
on broader lines.
The statement said the most inn
portant accomplishment of the pact
would be the remuneration by Ger
many of all efforts to revenge herself
,lpon her neighbors for the loss of AL
SAGE Lorraine and other territories,
and an agreement of Eur opean pow
ers that the status quo under the
Versailles treaty is the oasis OF the
permanent boundaries of Europe.
The giving out of this official state
ment leaves no doubt that the govern
ment of Great Britain believes the pro-
posed security pact can make eHectlve
the treaty of Versailles, and that its
Success now rests in the hands OF the
German government.
The statement said that unreserved
satisfaction is felt in London at the
news from Geneva that complete
agreement had been reached between
Great Britain and France as a basis
on which discussion regarding the es-
tablishment of a security pact can be
continued with Germany.
In summing up the situation one
British official said the pact should be
accepted as placing Europe in the same
position as in 1914, but with dlHerent
boundaries to protect.
The satisfaction thus expressed by
the British government is because of
the principle of the pact that Germany
will become a member of the League
of Nations and therefore that the
lea que will be raised to the important
position of being in reality the guar
dian of the peace and security of
Europe.
Must Be Mutual Affair.
The statement emphasized that since
the security pact suggestion originat-
ed with Germany ii is obvious that for
the pact to become a reality 1t must
be strictly mutual affair. 1t said
the British commitment would be re-
stricted to a guarantee of the frontier
between France, Belgium and Ger
many Great Britain is not proposing
to intervene in any possible conflict in
which it has no real interest, the state
ment added, but said that by means
of such a mutual understanding as the
nact proposes, and by clear state
ment of British obligations, all posi-
bility of war wherein British interests
might be involved on the Franco-Bel-
gian-CSerman frontier might be
avoided.
The statement said that all sigma
tories to the pact would enjoy all the
rights and obligations pertaining to
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