PREPARE FOR WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 17, 21 January 1931, Page 10

PREPARE FOR WAR

SOVIET COMMUNIST YOUTH

CONGRESS AND THE COMMISSAR

United Press Association—By Electric Tel* graph—Copyright. (Received 21st January, 2 p.m.) LONDON, 20th January. '' The Times'' correspondent at Riga says that M. Veroshilofiy Commissar of "War, urged the Ninth Congress of [the Communist League of Youth to remember the seriousness of the present menace of war against Bussia and. keep alert for the coming- fight. :. The Congress passed a resolution, proiiising to obey the first gammons of the Military Council by quitting their benches and tractors'for rifles, tanks, and armoured cars. An anti-war broadcast was stated .to be one of the reasons for the reports that anti-British propaganda was being broadcast by the Eussian Government, according to the explanation' given Tojr Mr. Arthur Henderson (Secretary for foreign Affairs) in the House of Commons. Mr. Henderson informed Mr. Smithers, a Conserv'ativ.e member, that he considered the broadcasting of messages such as that sent out. from Moscow on 2nd December as. a breach of the pledge entered into by the Soviet Government last year, but he did not consider that action was required at present, reports the "Daily Telegraph." Mr. Henderson (Foreign Secretary), answering a number of questions on the broadcasting from Moscow, said: la reply to the representations made by His Majesty's Ambassador; the Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs has made a verbal statement, of which the follcnving is a translation:— "I "have ascertained that the broadcast to which the Ambassador referred was transmitted not from a station , under the control of the Government, but from a private station which is at the full disposal of the All Union Central Council of Trade Unions. No breach of the undertakings of the Soviet Government <&n bo discerned in the fact that, without having established any form of censorship of messages of the broadcasting station, they place the station at the disposal of the trade unions. "I have acquainted myself with th» contents of- the message to which the Ambassador refers, and have convinced myself that it only sots forth, though clearly from the Soviet point of view, the facts of the trial of the industrial party, in which it would hardly be possible to discern any anti-British propaganda whatever." NO GROUNDS FOE PROTEST. "Similarly, in the letter of Gorky, broadcast from the station, even if that letter contains any propaganda, such prorfaganda is merely anti-war propagajjJQa, against which the British Government can hardly have anything' to say. This being so, I have reached the conclusion that this radio message, which, after all, was transmitted not by Government nor by its organs or agents, but from the private broadcasting station of the trade unions, neither formally nor in substance constitutes a breach of any obligations whatever, of the Soviet Government, and therefore does not give at all grounds for a protest. "Nevertheless, I cm say that, at the time- when the- All Union . Central Council of Trade Unions was given the right to use. the broadcasting station, no broadcast messages of this nature were contemplated, and that, taking into consideration Mr. Henderson's declaration, the- undesirability of such broadcast messages in future will be impressed upon the All Union Central Council of Trade Unions." Sir Kingsley Wood (C, "Woolwich W.): "Does the right lion, gentleman, accept the statement that the broadcast station is not under the Control of the Soviet Government? Is he going to swallow that fantastic statement?'* (Conservative cheers and Labour protests.) Mr. Henderson: "I must do so .until the right hon. gentleman provides me with evidence tt> the contrary." Mr. Ormsby-Gore (Conservative);' "Is this the only example of private enterprise allowed in Russia?" Sir Nicholas. Grattan-Doyle (Conservative): "Do the Government intend to take any steps to prevent similar ( anti-British propaganda being, circulatedS" Mr. Henderson: "I am not sure that is going to be necessary in view of the latter part of the answer I have just 'given." (Socialist cheers.) ~ , Mr. E. Brown (Liberal): "Does th« . i right hon. gentleman regard the answer .' ;as a humorous or as a serious answer? 1 (Laughter.) 1 Mr. Henderson: "I like to treat other Governments with whom we are ■in friendly relations seriously." (LaI bour cheers.)