Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-11
FRANCO.BRITISH TALKS
ARE HELD GOOD AUCURY
Lord Reading and Laval Discuss Posi-
bility of Healing Semi-Split and
United States Trip.

Great Britain now imminent, naturally
Lord Reading was unable to make def
mite proposals of any sort. What both
he and Premier Pierre Laval sought
primarily was information from one an
other.
May Heal Paris-London Split.
But the Chicago Daily News learns
that Lord Reading expressed to the
French great personal confidence that
a new national government. rather than
Socialist government, would result
from the elections. He seems also to
have felt able to give the French as
surances that, in this case, the semi
rupture between France and Great
Britain, which began when the Labor
government took Office two and half
years ago, would be ended and there
after France and Great Britain again
would consult frequently together in all
matters affecting their interests.
This, if it comes about. would ap-
parently mean the end of recent ef-
forts to isolate France by more or less
fortuitous combinations of Great Brit
ain, Germany, Italy and the United
States, as in the Hoover plan, and in
the more recent Italian arms holiday
proposal. It would mean that hence
forth diplomatic consultations preceding
public announcements of such impor-
tant ideas would include France and
would attempt to obtain French Coop
Grafton by friendly persuasionS rather
than by diplomatic pressure.
Customs Union Rumor Aired.
The subjects discussed by Lord Read
ing and M. Laval seem to have been
roughly, as follows:
l-Franco-German negotiations The
British wished to know if it was rue
that France and Germany were think
ing of making customs union and in
timated that, while Great Britain sin
cerely desires Franco-German recon-
Citation, such customs union might
be interpreted as directed against Great
Britain.
The French seem to have replied that
they have consented to let Germany
submit to the new Franco German Eco
nomic Committee its ideas on this sub
ject, but that so far no such ideas have
been presented and, as far as it is now
known, France has no intention of
making Franco-German customs Iln-
ion and that, in any case, If made, it
would not be directed against Great
Britain.
French Oppose Debt Canoeing.
2-Franco-American talks. The Brit
ish asked what M. Laval intends to dis
cuss with President Hoover. M Laval
replied that he does not know. He has
been invited to Washington and
has accepted and supposes that many
subjects will be touched on, but doubts
If any final decisions will be taken. He
said certainly that neither the United
States nor France dreams of trying tc
do anything affecting British interests
without first fully consulting Great
Britain.
8. War debts and reparations. The
British suggested that conference on
this subject be held early in December,
possibly in London. The French said
they preferred no conference The
British intimated that the best solu-
ton would be cancellation of all war
debts and reparations. M. Laval said
that French opinion never could accept
| that
France is willing to see the war debts
and rerarations Cancelled in equal
amounts, but insists that there must be
a residue of PREPARATIONS to compensate
France for at least a part of the sums
already advanced by France in restora-
ton Of its devastated areas Both the
CONTINUED on Fourth Page.l