RUSSIAN NOTE OF WARNING TO POLES

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 226, 24 September 1938, Page 9

RUSSIAN NOTE OF WARNING TO POLES

(Received 11 A.m.) LONDON, September 23. The British United Press Moscow correspondent states that the Soviet has sent a Note warning that if Poland invades CzechoWarsaw enounce the non-aggression pact with Poland's reply to the Soviet Note declares that all Polish military activity " Purely internal and does not concern Russia. It adds that the 1932 pact lapses should either party be guilty or aggression, therefore Russia's threatened denunciation is unwarrantable. At Geneva, M Litvinoff, Soviet Foreign Secretary, addressing the League Political Committee, said Russia had given an assurance to Czechoslovakia of armed assistance in the event of aggression provided France fulfilled her obligations under her pact with the Czechs He added that Russia had not abandoned Czechoslovakia on the ground that France would not fight. . Chechoslovakia has not raised the question of our assistance independently of assistance from France," he added. Pi^ y Telegraph" Warsaw correspondent says that the Charge d Affaires at Moscow has been instructed to express Poland s astonishment at the Soviet Note, and also to give assurance that Poland has not taken special measures on the Soviet frontier. The office has opened at Warsaw for the enrolment of volunteers similar to the free corps for the "liberation of Poles trom Czech enslavement."

A Budapest message says Hungarian officers and non-coms, have been ordered to report for duty immediately. Private or Press telephone calls to Budapest are no longer being accepted.

Budapest wireless announces that Poland has agreed not to press its minorities claims immediately.

The Foreign Office spokesman at Warsaw said the settlement of the Czech question is impossible unless the demands of Poland and Hungary are taken into consideration. Poland will not accept a decision of discrimination against Polish interests concerning the time and method of settlement.

Reuters Warsaw correspondent says the Polish Minister at Prague called on General Sirovy, reminding him of the necessity of an immediate reply to Poland's demand for equality of treatment for the Polish minority.