Berlin, Mar. 11.
Germany to-day announced her legal claim to the restoration of her former colonies in an exchange of Notes with the Union of South Africa, the semi-official "Deutsches Nachrichten Bureau". officially reported. The Notes, the news agency said, concerned the legal status of South-west Africa. The exchange of Notes, it was said, was the result of negotiations between the two Governments on the re-interpretation of the legal situation—United Press.
Speaking of Lord Haldane's creation of an expeditionary force, Mr. Here-Belisha observed that assumptions of the past often tempted one to leave out of account later developments and modifications.
Emphasizing the increase in the power of defence, which was the principal development of recent years and an illustration of which he referred to "the masterly and formidable defences of the Maginot Line, constructed with all the ingenuity and thoroughness of a great military nation," he stated that a mere description, such as had been given, of the role of the British Army emphasised how the factors in the situation had altered since 1914.
He disclosed how, under the stress of the new rhethods of warfare, a Sir Alexander Cadogan, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, and Dr. Woermann, the German Charge d'Affaires here, were present at the conference.
It is understood that in refusing to give the assurances mentioned, Herr von Ribbentrop declared that he could not be sure of the German Government's attitude until he meets the Fuehrer to-morrow evening, after his return to Berlin.
The German Foreign Minister will leave London to-morrow afternoon instead of Saturday evening as was originally planned, in order to be in Berlin before the plebiscite is held in Austria on Sunday.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.