The daily report for September 14
Conference to prevent pirat Mediterranean.. Italy refuses to she is admitted to the patrol scheme on terms of absolute equality; states a reply handed by Count Ciano, the Italian Foreign Minister, tothe British and French Charge Iv is noted here that the reply is equivocal in that it does not say that the granting of parity in the Mediterranean contro] scheme will make Italy change her mind.
Inspired press comment: leads' Observers to Italy will agree to unless belligerent to Gen. Franci Franco, Spanish Nationalist leader.
"Italy in agreement with the Reich," declares a communique, "has replied to the British and French Governments that the Fascist Government has examined the Nyon arrangement, but the situation which would arise for Italy under it appears to be unacceptable to her vital interests in the Mediterranean.
"The fact that the greatest amount of trafic runs along her lines of communication would make it necessary that Italy should require to have conditions of absolute parity with any other state in any zone in the Mediterranean."
Provisions of Accord The Nyon agreement was signed by all delegates at a plenary session yesterday and goes into effect immediately. The patrol scheme, to which Italy has taken objection, calls for the operation of the British and French fleets in the western Mediterranean and the Malta Channel, except for the Tyrrhenian Sea, while in the eastern Mediterranean each participating power will operate in its own territorial waters and on the high seas, except the Adriatic, The British and French fleets will operate as far as the entrance to the Dardanelles in areas where there is reason to fear danger to shipping. Other participants with Mediterra can borders have undertaken to furnish the operating fleets with assistance, The accord defines the measures to be taken against any submarine encountered near a non-Spanish ship "which hag been recently attacked and if a submarine sinks any foreign merchant vessel without appearing On the surface, it is piracy and it can be sunk "at sight or sound." Also, if a submarine appears on the surface and sinks foreign warships, it will be held guilty of an act of war.
The participating powers agree to restrict severely the use of their submarines in the Mediterranean, @nd in any case they will proceed;|on. the surface, accompanied by a surface ship, The participants will advise their merchant shipping to follow certain named routes in the Mediterranean.
Mr. Anthony Eden, British Foreign Secretary, in a brief speech, emphasised that nothing is more welcome than the close ce-operation of all interested nations, whether they participated in the Nyon conference or not.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.