RUSSIA

Evening Star, Issue 17369, 3 June 1920, Page 7

RUSSIA

BRITAIN'S POLICY. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright Australian ami N.Z Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON. June 1. (Received Juno 3, at 9.20 a.m.) Mr W. Long, First Lord of the Admiralty, stated in the Commons that British warship* wers. protecting the sea communications of the Crimea until an armistice was arranged between General Wrangel'a army and Soviet Russia. Negotiations in this connection would begin shortly. The warships were intended to prevent a Bolshevik attack along the Black Sea coast and the road to Batum, and to support the garrison at Batum. Mr Long denied that Britain was at war with Soviet Russia. Tho Admiralty was strictly carrying out the policy laid down by the Prime Minister in tho Houso of Commons, and was only talcing ordinary precautionary measures in tho "Black Sea necessitated by the policy of the Allies. It is understood that "the British Government will insist on the releasa of British prisoners in Russia before assenting to a resumption of trade. To-day's meeting between Krassin. the Russian envoy, and tho British Ministers dealt with only general trado. pronosals—not with any question of recognition—the object being to discover what Russia needed and what she was able to export. It was made clear that trpde could not be conducted simultaneously with propaganda-.