About-three months ago Germany offered to enter into a Pact
for mutual guarantees. The Eastern frontier of France would be regarded as permanent and inviolable.
' As regards Germany's own Eastern frontier she would be Unwilling to regard that as permanent, but she would promise not to try to alter it by force. She also pro- fesSed her willingness to repudiate any designs* Of recovering Alsace-Lorraine. Here was an obviously hopeful foundation for a general settlement, and Mr. Austen Chamberlain frankly expressed his pleasure at the German proposal. The primary principle of the proposal, then, was mutuality. Germany was to undertake not to attack France, and in return France was to undertake not to attack Germany. Although no definite answer has yet been given to Germany, negotiations between France and ourselves have been going on week by week, and what has happened now and has caused all the excitement is that Great Britain and France have agreed upon the terms of the reply which they will send to Germany. This was announced by M. 'Hand and Mr. Austen Chamberlain at the meeting of the Council at Geneva.
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