TRUCE AGREED TO

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 56, 29 November 1929, Page 11

TRUCE AGREED TO

SOVIET AND MANCHURIAN GOVERNMENT RAILWAY MANAGERS TO BE REINSTATED RELEASE OF ARRESTED RUSSIANS (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph. —Copyright.) (Rec. November 28, 7 p.m.) London, November 27. "The Times’” Riga correspondent states that the Soviet announces the conclusion of a truce with the Manchurian Government, which accepts the Soviet’s conditions. Negotiations for a truce were begun on November 21 by Mukden emissaries, who crossed the lines at Pogranichnaya. The “Daily News’” Moscow correspondent says the Soviet’s conditions were a return to the status quo ante, the reinstatement of Yemshanoff and Eismont, manager and assistant manager respectively, of the Chinese Eastern Railways, and the release of arrested Soviet citizens. M. Litvinoff has cabled to Mukden proposing a preliminary meeting at Habarovsk to discuss the place and date of the peace conference. SOVIET SOLDIERS’ CRUELTY UNPRECEDENTED IN HISTORY CHINESE REQUEST FOR INQUIRY Shanghai, November 27. The cruelty of the Soviet Soldiers is unprecedented in the history of the world, declares a telegram suggesting an International Commission of Inquiry into Soviet aggressions in North Manchuria and common action to maintain the spirit' of the anti-war pact. The telegram has been forwarded to Mr. MacDonald, President Hoover, and other world leaders by a group representing Chinese organisatiotfs in Manchuria. The message claims that the Russians repeatedly pillaged Chinese towns and massacred innocent Chinese citizens, while Chinese troops consistently confined themselves to defensive measures, never setting foot on Soviet soil. The latest messages from Harbin report that all the territory between Manchuli and Hailar is held by Soviet forces, and the population is experiencing the horrors of war. Red ’planes are continuing bombing on a wide scale. QUESTIONS IN HOUSE OFCOMMONS ATTITUDE OF BRITISH GOVERNMENT READY TO PARTICIPATE IN JOINT ACTION (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, November 27. The Foreign Secretary, Mr. A. Henderson, was asked in the House of Commons whether, seeing that certain hostile acts had been committed by the Union of Soviet Republics against the Republic of China, both parties having signed the Kellogg Pact, he would consider bringing this breach of the Pact before other Governments that had attached their signatures to this Pact, with a view to bringing about a peaceful settlement.

Mr. Henderson replied that the Kellogg Pact provided no machinery for dealing with any case of infraction or apparent infraction of its terms, but merely stated in a preamble that any signatory which might thereafter seek to promote its national interests by resort to war would be denied the benefits furnished by that Treaty. He understood that the Chinese Government might appeal to the League of Nations. The Covenant of the League provided machinery for dealing with such an appeal, and he thought that it would be best to await developments in this direction in the first place.

Sir Austen Chamberlain, former Foreign Secretary, asked whether any communication had passed between the United States Government and the British Government on this subject, and whether any suggestion was made by the United States Government for common representations to Russia against a breach of the Kellogg Pact. Mr. Henderson replied that in the early days of this matter communications did pass, and lie informed the House at the time that we were prepared to participate in any joint action calculated! to bring this dispute to a peaceful termination. He thought that since then no further communication had been received, but that a communication had come from another Government, and, if joint action could be taken, we were prepared to participate. Sir Austen 'Chamberlain asked if Mr. Henderson would consider if it would not he proper for the Government to initiate fresh negotiations with the United States Government on the subject. Mr. Henderson replied: “I can only say that the matter was under consideration this very morning. As I have intimated, we are prepared to take part in joint action. I will consider the suggestion whether we ought to initiate that action.” A member asked if it was not possible to adopt other machinery than that of the League of Nations.

Mr. Henderson replied: “The action I was contemplating was not action associated with the League of Nations in the first instance, but joint action by the signatories of the Kellogg Pact, who include both Russia and the United States.”