London, Mar. 24.
British authorities yesterday expressed concern over press reports from Brussels that Italy is planning to import 2,000,000 tone of Belgian coal annually, it was understood here last night. Belgium, the reports said, will import coal from Germany because her industries are unable to spare that amount.
The Italian steamer Confidencia was reported to be loading nine thousand tons of coal at Antwerp yesterday.
It true, it was asserted, British authorities would regard such an evasion of the allied control over German exports as a very serious matter, and could be expected to seek new machinery to deal with the situation if none is available at the present time.
The specific terms of the Italo-British agreement, under which Britain early this month released several Italian ships carrying German coal from Holland, contained the assurance that Italy would not attempt to load any more coal from Germany. Since the list of neutral ports in the North Sea has never been published, it was not clear whether the agreement Sunday.
"You all know in what times we are living now," His Holiness said. "Harmony between peoples has been sadly broken. Treaties solemnly adhered to are modified or violated unilaterally without previous agreement. All that could be used for the prosperity and progress of peoples is at present being deflected from its course. Open towns and villages are being terrorized, set on fire, and devastated by bombings, defenceless citizens, innocent children, the ill, the aged, all are deprived of their homes if not killed."
The Pope concluded with a prayer to Christ to grant peace, harmony, and unity to kings, princes, and peoples.—Havas.
The marked upward tendency in specifically covered such an arrangement a5 reported from Brussels.
To block Such shipments from Belgium, Britain could presumably Yoke the letter or spirit of the arper cent. in 1938, and was 414 times as much as in 1928.
There was a slight reduction in the mumber of coal-cutting machines in Britain and Bel-signed an agreement in February concerning Belgium's exports to Germany, but it was not known whether this also covered exports from Belgium of products which previously had been imported from Germany.—Unfted Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.