ETERNAL TRIANGLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 17, 20 January 1940, Page 11

ETERNAL TRIANGLE

JAPAN—U.S. A—RUSSIA

MOVE AND COUNTER-MOVE

DELICATE DIPLOMACY

(B> Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright.)

(Received January 20, 10 a.m.) NEW YORK, January 19.

A Washington message says an-other-move in growing agitation in Congress to sever diplomatic relations between the United States and the Soviet-is seen in a,resolution by Senator A. H. Vandenberg (Republican) requesting President Roosevelt to advise whether Russia has fulfilled her obligations under the Litvinoff agreements in 1933 whereby the United States recognised the Soviet. . • • Senator Vandenberg declared he was confident that the information would be such as to force a severance of relations. _ Senator K. Pittman agreed that Russia had violated tier pledges. It is understood that he is opposed to the withdrawing of the United States representatives from Moscow on the sn-ound that it would cut off United States sources of Russian information, while having little effect on the Russo-Finnish war. The 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. FEAR AND DISTRUST. The Tokio newspaper "Hochi Shimbun" comments that Russia and A-nerica 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 Mosjcow 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. The Foreign Office spokesman commented that he saw no technical conflict in simultaneous discussions with Russia and America, but he 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 1,300,000 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.

After sixteen years of non-recogni-tion, the United States changed its attitude towards Russia in May, 1933, when President Roosevelt sent a copy of his appeal for peace to President Kalinin. On the following October 20 it was announced from the White House that M. Maxim Litvinov, then Commissar for Foreign Affairs, was to visit the United States to negotiate an agreement for recognition of the Soviet Government. When this was completed Russia undertook to cease propaganda in the United States, and Mr. William C. Bullitt was appointed American Ambassador to Moscow.

By special arrangement Reuters mono service, In addition to other special sources of Information. Is used In the compilation ot the overseas Intelligence published In this Issue, and all rights therein In Australia and New Zealand are reserved.

Such ot trie cable news on this page as is so headed bas appeared in "The Times" and Is cabled to Australia and, New Zealand by special permission Ii should be understood that tbe opinions are not those of "The Times" unless expressly stated to be m. ,