RUSSIA.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18051, 17 April 1924, Page 11

RUSSIA.

THE LONDON CONFERENCE.

TREATIES OP CZARIST DAYS

(by cable—press association—copyright.) (keuter's telegrams.)

(Received April 16th, 11,50 p.m.)

LONDON, April 15.

The Anglo-Russian Conference held a short meeting, and adjourned until to-morrow.

A communique issued states that the subject of treaties between Britain and the former Russian Empire •was raised, and referred to a subcommittee for preliminary examination.

"FIRM, TACTFUL SPEECH."

MR MACDONALD COMMENDED. (Australian and H.Z. Cable A3Sociation.) LONDON. April 15. Tho newspapers generally congratulate Mr Mac Donald on his .firm, yet tactful, speech at the opening of the Anglo-Russian Conference. The Conservative organs are sceptical as to the success of the Conference, and are inclined to question the Russian motives. The Liberal papers cordially welcome the Conference and approve of Mr Mac Donald's policy.

"The Times" says:—"Mr Mac Donald made the best of an extremely unpleasant situation, and encouraged no illusions. M. llakovsky's declaration was tactless and ignored the practical demands of the present." The "Daily Telegraph'' thinks that tho Russians are merely out for material advantages and therefore the negotiations are not likely to lead to anything. The "Daily Express" says that Mr Mac Donald's speech was worthy of the chief spokesman of the Empire

The "Daily News" urges that the Conference be given a fair chance, by the abandonment of "irritating pinpricks" as instanced in the bankers' memorandum and a section of the Press.

The "Manchester Guardian" hopes, and believes, that the meeting is the beginning of a genuine settlement in Europe.

FRANCE INTERESTED. WILLING TO JOIN IN. ("THE times.") LONDON, April 15., The Paris correspondent of "Tho Times" states that the French are intensely interested in the Anglo-Soviet Conference. The attitude of the French Government has already been communicated to Mr Mac Donald and is in effect that caro should be taken to avoid _ any agreements by which international complications may be created. M. Poincare does not ask that France be allowed to participate in the London Conference, but would be quite willing to joimin the negotiations if invited. Hitherto Britain has not .proposed any such participation. The "Temps," however, understands that Mr Mac Donald informed M. Poincare that he would do nothing to injure French interests.

TREATY REVISION. WANTED BY RUSSIA. (REUTBE'S TBLEGKAM3.) LONDON, April 15. At the Anglo-Russian Conference, M. Rakovsky said that the first, condition of stable peace was the revision of the Treaty of Versailles' and the treaties connected therewith. The reorganisation of Europe could only be stable if it were based on the will of the peoples and took account of the peoples' aspirations and national independence. The Soviet Government therefore was prepared to support and pursue a policy of revision of the frontiers on ethnographic principles, applying the plebiscite where necessary, as in the case of Bessarabia. The ; Soviet Government fully shared the British view that mutual non-intervention in- internal affairs was one of the indispensable conditions for the creation of mutual confidence.

The Conference appointed an organising committee to supervise its labours.

CLAIM AND COUNTER-CLAIM. (BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) "~ .■•■ LONDON, April 15. The political correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" states that the Soviet's bill against Great Britain is identical- with that submitted by M. Litvinoff at The Hague Conference in l ', 1922, and then rejected by Mr Lloyd George as being too fantastic. The correspondent says the main fight is not so much concerning 'this bill for £2,000,000,000, as over the British private claims, amounting to £180,000,000.