RUSSIA'S DEBT.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18676, 27 April 1926, Page 9

RUSSIA'S DEBT.

FRENCH SETTLEMENT.

NEGOTIATIONS PROCEED. SOVIET DEMANDS CREDITS. (BT CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (HEVTKB'S TZUGRAU3.) PARIS, April 25. Negotiations have been conducted quietly for some time aiming at the settlement of the Russian debt to France, and now seem to be on the verge of .a successful outcome. V. Litvinoff, Assistant Commissar for Foreign Affairs, stated that conversations had entered the business stage. Both parties had worked out concrete proposals, which hithcrfo wero widely separated French newspapers traeo the progress of the discussions, which, firstly, postulated the establishment of a debt-re-demption fund by moans of contributions by the exporters and importers of both countries, graduated according to the volume of trade. However, France has now requested that the Soviet pay a lump sum equal to 25 per cent, of the value of the Russian bonds. The Soviet is not favourably disposed to do this, but on the contrary, insistently demanded credits. Frenchmen, however, are of the opinion that M. Rakovsky, Russian Ambassador to Paris, is not inclined to risk a failure like that of London, and is doing his utmost to take back A signed agreement to Moscow. "We might be glad," said M. Litvinoff, in the course of a speech, justifying the conclusion of the Russo-German Treaty, "at having extracted the antiSoviet sting from the Locarno Treaty." Ho declared that the new treaty was inspired by peaceful aims but if, as the Soviet always suspected, the Locarno Pact signatories contemplated the creation of an anti-Soviet combination, then the treaty of Berlin would be a contradiction of Locarno. THE RUS&O-GERMAN PACT. (AUSTRALIAN AMD N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) WARSAW, April 25. Newspapers are uneasy, foreseeing embarrassments arising from the RussoGerman agreement, which the "Nowy Hurjerpolski" says, resuscitates just what Locarno aimed at abolishing, namely, a mutual private alliance. The newspaper accuses Germany of having by a unilateral act, ignored all the duties devolving from Article 16 of the League Covenant. i OVERTURES TO DOMINIONS. (AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, April 25. The diplomatic correspondent of tha "Morning Post" says that M. Tchitcherin, Russian Foreign Minister, whose •latest plan is to negotiate treaties with all and sundry,, is now attacking the Brtish Dominions with suggestions for closer trade relationships. The Soviet's agents point out that t)e existing British trade agreement a a very cumbersome arrangement, and although the Dominioiiß are unable to sign a treaty with a foreign power frlich will have any political significance, separate trade or Governmental agreements with Soviet Russia would be better suited to their existing conditions.