LL. GEORGE WRITES IN RUSSIAN PRESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 182, 4 August 1939, Page 7

LL. GEORGE WRITES IN RUSSIAN PRESS.

TREATY PARLEYS.

Mr. Chamberlain Attacked On His Policy.

SOVIET PACT DELAYED I P Hnit.-.l Press Association.—Copyright. (Received ll.no a.m.) LONDON, August 3. An official announcement in Paris gays thai the French military mission ■will gri to London to-morrow in order to confer with the British mission Both will Ihen go to Moscow by sea from an Knglish port, on Sunday. Mar-hal Voroshiloff will conduct the Stair talk*, assisted by the Navy Commissar, Kuznctsoff, the Air Force Chief. Loktionoff. the Army Chief of Staff, Shapo-hiiikoff. „nd Adjutant. Morovinoff! The Snvici regntfls fho talks as most important, and the delegation will i, c responsible only to M. Stalin. The Soviet Press, however, published an article by Mr. |,|„ v ,| (jeorge attacking Mr. < lianiberlaiii for not securing an agreement with Russia before guaranteeing Poland, Rumania and (.'recce. Mr. Lloyd Ccorgp'* sentiments are similar to those voiced by Soviet commentators. The special correspondent of "The Times" in Moscow, recording the impression made by Mr. Chamberlain's speech on Monday, adds that matters have now gut far enough to enable practical details lo be discussed. "We now have M. Molotoff's word that the coining military mission will enable the remain" lug divergencies of view to be eliminated,'' siiys the correspondent. "it looks as if the Soviet is at last ready to/be convinced.''

Atmosphere Optimistic. A Press telegram from Moscow, states a. British official wireless message, savs that to-day's negotiations lasted an hour and a quarter, and the atmosphere at the end was described as optimistic. It is generally believed in wellinformed circles in Moscow that the conversations covered the formulation of the agenda for the coming Staff talks and a, further attempt to establish a mutually agreeable definition of indirect aggression.

The Foreign I'nder-Secrc.tary. Mr. B. A. Rutler, was asked in the House of (r»vinions to-day if his attention had been drawn to a speech on Saturday by the Swedish Foreign Minister, in which he said Swedish interests would be seriously affected if agreements were arrived at by the (Jreat Powers which conflicted with the avowed principle of the northern countries not to let themselves be the objects of combinations in power polities, and if he would bear this Swedish attitude in mind when considering the conclusion of an .Anglo-Soviet pact, ill addition to the views already expressed by representatives of Finland and other Baltic States.

Interests of Other States. Mr. Butler replied that he had seen the reports on the subject, and added: "As the House has already been informed, Britain is taking into account the views and interests of other States. "I may add that there is no question of imposing a guarantee oji these States, or making them the objects nf combination* in power polities. But, as has become apparent in the course of I lie present negotiations, the violation nf the independence or neutrality of any one of these States would be a mutter of vital interest to the three (io\ ernments concerned.'' In reply to another question Mr. Mut If r recalled Viscount Halifax's statement at the League Council in May that llritain would propose to take an appropriate opportunity for communicating to the League the result of the negotiations upon which Britain was engaged in connection with European security, and which were in strict conformity with the spirit of the Covenant. Mr. Butler declared that was still the (io\ ernment's intention, but he declined In accept the suggestion of a member that the British delegation to the League Assembly should table a resolution on the subject.

LINER CHARTERED.

STALIN'S PRECAUTION.

(Received 2 p.m.)

LONDON, August 3

The City of Exeter has been specially chartered to take the British and French military missions to Leningrad. The party will number at least 30 and the talks are expected to last a number of weeks.

"The Times" Moscow correspondent sari the Russians want to know what Britain and France will do in the event of war against (iermany, as M. Stalin has made it abundantly clear that he will guard against being manoeuvred into fighting the battles for Western Powers.