The Franco-Soviet Treaty
The Franco-Soviet treaty, whose terms were published last Sunday, is regarded with the utmost satisfaction in this country, as in France and Russia. Its provisions, valid for a minimum period of twenty years, are substantially the same as those laid down for Britain and Russia in the Anglo-Soviet treaty, the principal variation arising from the fact that the Dumbarton Oaks Conference has enabled the signatories to make specific reference to their obligations to a world organisation. Moreover, the conception of aggression is very properly widened to include not only attack by Germany, but also preparations for attack. If measures taken to " eliminate any new threat " lead to war with Germany the contracting parties promise to aid each other. The result of the treaty is that France takes her place, like Britain, as an ally of Russia, pledged to help in preventing German aggression, and to concert with her measures of economic reconstruction. France, Britain and Russia will all be members of a world organisation aiming at world security and economic co- operation. The two treaties together provide for a large regional understanding fully in keeping with Dumbarton Oaks. In the same way a more restricted regional understanding between France and Britain and other western European Powers would be quite in accord with the main scheme, just as there might also be an eastern European understanding between Russia and her near neighbours. General de Gaulle has chosen exactly the right moment to bring about this understanding. It puts France in the right position in regard to Europe as a whole, and Russia, so far from looking askance at the drawing closer of bonds between France and Britain, will have reason to welcome it. The next step should be an Anglo-French treaty, and one which would lend itself later to a wider entente, including, perhaps, Belgium, Holland, Denmark and Norway, and possibly other countries. European security in the future depends on the western Powers being closely associated and at the same time in close alliance with Russia.
