Evening star., 1939-05-27
Ang|o-French Plan
For Pact Received
Well in Moscow
Immediate and Automatic
Aid Provided for in
; Specified Cases
Nv PERTINAX.

BY PERTINAX.
PARIS, May 27 (NANA). The
Franco British proposals for pact
of mutual assistance more or less
in conformity With the Russian
scheme of April Is have been well
received in Moscow.
They embody system of security
more complete and far-reaching
than could have been expected a
week ago, when British Foreign
Secretary Halifax came here and
closeted himself with Premier Dala-
dier and Foreign Minister Bonnet.
Obviously, there was a change for
the better in Geneva, as the outcome
of the lengthy talk that the British
foreign secretary had with Ivan
Maisky, the Soviet Ambassador to
London, on May 81.
Assistance to Be Automatic.
In their present form, the Franco
British proposals can be summarized
as follows: Britain, France and
Russia will assist one another. first
ly. whenever the territory of one
of them is attacked secondly,
whenever one of them is engaged
in war as consequence of a
guarantee given to certain states in
Western or Eastern Europe; third
ly, whenever help has to be lent to
a state determined to uphold its
neutrality. In all cases, the assist
ance Is to be immediate and auto
matic-such are thu words used.
Diplomatic consultations are pro-
vided whenever there arises threat
of aggression. 1t IS declared in a
preamble that, throughout. the three
signatory powers intend to act in
the spirit of the Covenant of the
League of Nations.
The Russian rulers are sure to
ask for elucidation of certain points.
For instance, what would have to
be done if certain states did not
seriously intend to uphold their
neutrality and were bullied by the
Hitlerian Reich TO such a degree as
to surrender position of strategic
importance whereby the whole new
system of security would be i'm
paired and the capacity of the three
main powers to resist German on
slaught would be lessened?
Baltic Guarantee Facilitated.
1t ought not to be overlooked that
Germany has approached the Baltic
states with an offer of a pact of
non-aggression for the purpose of
making it more difficult for them
to seek Soviet RuSsia's guarantee.
The way is quite open now for Rus
sia to extend her guarantee to the
Baltic states, as she knows that,
If she had to enforce it, Franco
British support woul not fail her.
But it is doubtful whether Russia
can convince Estonia and Latvia to
take the risk inherent in any mode
of association with her. In an emer-
gency would it be possible for Mos
cow to overrule the hesitation and
delaying methods of those little
countries without running the risk
of estranging from her the French
and British cabinets?
Other points likely to be discussed
concern the reference to the spirit
of the Leagues covenant, a loose
expression which will have to be
carefully defined. and the methods
of diplomatic consultations to be re-
sorted to so as to deal adequately
with the German menace. 1t is not
believed that these exchanges of
views will give rise to serious diff
culties.
1t is taken for granted that the
treaty will be signed soon and that,
If necessary, France, Britain and
Russia will issue meanwhile joint
declaration to let it be known that
they mean to fulfill the require
ments of mutual assistance even
before the text has been drafted
and approved by them in every
detail.
May Start Fresh Crisis.
At the same time it is admitted
by many that the signature of tri-
partite treaty may start a fresh
European crisis. Hitler and Musso-
lini have now to realize, as a con-
sequence of the impending Anglo
French-Russian pact, that they
cannot really expect to win in a
short war, the only hope left to
them of finding way out of the
tragic blind alley where they have
led their peoples. They may be
tempted to assume an active role
before the new system of security
has had time to be fully consoh-
dated and all measures of diplo-
matte and military coordination
have been carried out.
The hardening of German public
opinion about the Danzig problem
Chate of everything Polish has
always been a potent promoter of
the fighting spirit in Germany may
give the Fuehrer the requisite op-
portunity.
Once more the military leaders
in France and Britain are on the
alert, but few people indeed really
think the worst can come to the
worst in the near future.