BETTER ATMOSPHERE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 30, 4 August 1939, Page 9

BETTER ATMOSPHERE

FRAMING OF AGENDA

WEDNESDAY'S PROCEEDINGS

(British Official Wireless.)

-RUGBY, August 2.

A Press telegram states that today's negotiations between Britain, France, and Russia lasted air-hour and a quarter, and the atmosphere at the end was described as optimistic.

It is generally believed in wellinformed circles in Moscow that the conversations covered the formulation of the agenda for the forthcoming staff talks, and a further attempt to establish a mutually agreeable definition of indirect aggression. At question time in the House of Commons today the Foreign Under- ' Secretary (Mr. Butler) recalled the statement of the Secretary of-Foreign Affairs (Lord Halifax) at a meeting of the League Council in May that Britain would propose to take an appropriate opportunity for communicating to the League as the result of the negotiations uppn which Britain was engaged in connection with European security aad which were in strict conformity with the spirit of the Covenant. Mr. Butler declared that that was still the Government's intention, but he declined to accept the suggestion of a member that the British delegation, to the League Assembly should table a resolution on the subject. . INTERESTS OF BALTIC STATES. Mr. Butler was asked if his attention had been drawn to a speech on. Saturday by the Swedish Foreign Minister, Mr. - Sandier, in which he said that Swedish interests would be seriously affected if agreements were arrived at by great Powers which, conflicted with the avowed principle of the northern countries not to let themselves be objects of "combinations in power politics, and if he would bear this Swedish attitude in mind when considering the conclusion of an Anglo-Soviet Pact, in addition to the views already expressed by representatives of Finland and other Baltic States. 1 Mr. Butler replied that he had seen reports on the subject. "As the House has already been informed, Britain is taking into account the views and int^jests of other States," he said. "I may add that there is no question of imposing a guarantee on these States or making them objects of combinations in power politics. But, as has become apparent in the course of the present negotiations, violation -Of the independence or neutrality of any one of these States would be a matter of vital interest to the three Governments concerned." •