U.S.A. AND RUSSIA

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 100, 22 January 1940, Page 8

U.S.A. AND RUSSIA

Move To End Diplomatic Relations EFFECT ON JAPANESE By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. NEW YORK, January 19. / A Washington message says another move in growing agitation in Congress to sever diplomatic relations between the Uniled States and the Soviet is seen in a resolution by Senator A. 11. Vandenberg (Republican) requesting President Roosevelt to advise whether Russia has fulfilled her obligations under the Litvinov agreements in 1933 whereby the United States recognized the Soviet.

Senator Vandenberg declared he was confident that the information would be such as to force a severance of relations.

Senator K. Pittman, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Semite, agreed that Russia had violated her pledges, it is understood that lie is opposed to tlie withdrawing of the United States representatives from Moscow on the ground that it would cut off United States sources of Russian information, while having little effect on the Russo-Finnish war. Control Of Pacific. Tlie Tokio correspondent of the United Press says a War Office pamphlet distributed among members of Parliament and the public declares that Russia’s concentration of 400,000 troops in the Far East challenges Japan, while Britain obstructs Japan’s efforts for peace in the Far East and blocks her economic development, and the United States is ambitious for control of the Pacific. The pamphlet adds that the westward development of United States aviation increasingly concerns Japan. The Tokio newspaper “Hochi Shimbun” comments that Russia and America fear and distrust each other, thus bringing pressure to bear on Japan. As a result, the latter’s relations with both are adversely affected. The newspaper considers that Moscow is endeavouring to take advantage of Japan’s preoccupation in Washington to get the maximum possible concessions regarding all the questions pending between Japan and Russia. Psychological Difficulties. The Foreign Office spokesman commented that lie saw no technical conflict in simultaneous discussions with Russia and America, but be granted that there were psychological difficulties. The Tokio correspondent of the United Press of America says that the American Ambassador in Tokio, Mr. J. C. Grew, told the former Foreign Minister, Admiral Nomura, that Washington is greatly concerned at Japan’s increasingly friendly relations with Russia.

The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says that since the outbreak of European hostilities Russia has obtained over 1,300.090 barrels of petrol from the United States, most of which, it is believed, has been used in the operations in Finland. Little or none has been transhipped to Germany.