Before receiving Mr. MacDonald and Sir John Simon, Mr. Mussolini has
communicated to the French Ambassador in Rome the political pact of
which he is the author. This text provides for a pledge from France,
Great Britain, Germany and Italy to enter into a policy
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of collaboration for the maintenance of
peace and to act in the domain of European relations so that such policy
be adopted at the same time by the other powers, in the spirit of the
Kellogg pact.17
-
Article Second states the principle of the
possibility of the revision of treaties “as provided for in the Pact
of the League of Nations18 and in a spirit
of mutual comprehension and solidarity of interests
involved”.
-
Article Third stipulates that the equality of
rights granted Germany concerning armaments will be effective, but
that Germany can attain this equality only by degrees and after an
agreement of the three other powers. The same disposition applies to
Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria.
- In Article Fourth, the contracting powers
engage themselves to adopt as soon as possible a common policy in
economic as well as in political matters.
The British delegates, on the 21st of March, have informed the President
of the Council and Mr. Paul-Boncour of the conversation they had with M.
Mussolini. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald and Sir John Simon have not thoroughly
discussed with him the substance of the plan.
However, in respect to mention made of the Article 3 of Austria and
Hungary, they have pointed out the fact that there were some other
countries interested and that in any case, such an agreement could not
be presented to them as an accomplished fact.
The French Ministers, in reply, have emphasized the fact that, in view of
the Pact of the League of Nations, of the Locarno Agreements19 and of the
special agreements entered into by France with Poland and the Little
Entente and the “Accord de confiance” adhered to by the European
countries, it was difficult to conceive a collaboration in the form of a
board of four powers, of which the interested countries would be
excluded.
In the opinion of Messrs. Daladier20 and
Paul-Boncour, it appears that the best way to obtain the object of Mr.
Mussolini would be to consider the proposed collaboration as a
collaboration of the prominent members of the Council and consequently
in connection with the League of Nations.
As far as the revision of treaties and disarmament are concerned, the
French ministers have emphasized the danger of having recourse to
Article 19 of the Pact before the establishment of any procedure for
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its application, and of
attaining the equality of rights not by a reduction but through an
increase of armaments. The French Government feels obliged to stand by
the declaration of November [December] 11th,
1932,21 and to connect
those two questions with the question of security. Messrs. Daladier and
Paul-Boncour objected to the exclusive introduction of those two
questions in a general agreement of collaboration for the maintenance of
peace.
In conclusion, they informed the British ministers of their intention to
consult with the Governments of Belgium, Poland and of the Little
Entente, and stated their conviction that this program of collaboration
should be consistent with the spirit of the Pact of the League of
Nations and the procedures already established in Geneva for the
solution of the European problems.
