DIPLOMATIC RUPTURE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 69, 3 January 1936, Page 6

DIPLOMATIC RUPTURE.

URUGUAY AND SOVIET. ALLEGED COMMUNIST ACTIVITY, (United Press Association—Copyright.) MONTEVIDEO, Dec 30. Uruguay severed diplomatic relations with Soviet Russia on Friday. Soviet representatives here were charged with assisting revolutionary activities, and the Russian Minister, M. Minkin, and liis entire staff have been ordered to be expelled from the country. The decision to hand the iSoviet representative his passports was reached at a meeting of the Uruguayan Council of Ministers, where evidence was adduced that Montevideo is the centre of Communistic activity in South America and that the Soviet Embassy here was directly connected with the recent bloody revolutionary outbreak in Brazil. It was alleged that Radical leaders were financed by the Communist International. Although Uruguay recognised the Soviet in 1929, it was not until May, 1934, that M. Minkin opened the Soviet Legation. SOVIET DENIES ACCUSATION. M. STALIN’S DUAL OFFICE. . ' LONDON, DeDc. 30. The Riga correspondent of “The Times” says that the newspapers simultaneously notify the Russo-Uruguay rupture, with Russia’s reply declaring that the accusations against the Soviet is false, but refusing to discuss the activities of the Communist Internatioinal inasmuch as it is dissociated from the Russian Government. Nevertheless the argument is difficult to uphold, owing to the openness with which M. Stalin’s dual role as head of the Government and chief of the Communist executive was recently emphasised in the newspapers Irrespective of other posts, M. Stalin is now president of the commission created to reform the Soviet Constitution and introduce a Parliament elected by secret ballot. Moreover, .M. Stalin, jointly with M. Molotoff, signs the Government decrees, while his. portrait appears in the Communisu journal as the greatest living leadei. Also, one of the members of the Communist executive is Luis Prestes, a Brazilian Communist. It is difficult to disavow Communist activities m South America, as numerous reports have been published in Moscow declaring that Montevideo is the centre of activities, brightening the prospects of Communism throughout the whole of South America, Mexico and Cuba. The newspapers declare that Uruguay’s action was due to pressure of othei' countries and is blackmail to secure larger orders from the Soviet.