EUROPEAN SITUATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 August 1939, Page 8

EUROPEAN SITUATION

MISCELLANEOUS MESSAGES [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] LONDON, August. 22. The “Evening Standard’;’” diplomatic correspondent, stales, on the highest authority that. Germany did not inform Italy of the proposed pact with Russia.. MOSCOW, August 22. Authoritative quarters say that the pact is a step to ensure peace. They insist that it. is in no way incompatible with a British, French and Russian defensive alliance. ROME, August 22. Vatican quarters greeted the pact as a “possible contribution to peace," and welcome it for that reason. RIGA, August 22. , The Baltic States newspapers welcome the Russian-German pact, as a notable peace factor. LONDON, August 22. German warships are reported to be off the Danish coasts, carrying out mine-laying exercises. Sweden has ordered her second submarine, which was due to visit Osten, to remain in home waters. Warplanes are reported to have arrived at Danzig, at frequent intervals. STOCKHOLM, August 22. Swedish Ministers abroad have been ordered to abandon their holidays and return to their posts. BERLIN, August 22. It is semi-officia.lly stated that the pact represents a permanent European realignment, and not mere tactical man'oeuvre. It is an event of immense historical importance, decisively affecting long-term German-Russian relations. WARSAW, August 22. The pact does not modify the attitude of the Government one iota, and does not change the strategic plans in the event of war, the presence of a Russian or German army in Poland being regarded as equally menacing. Poland merely relies on raw materials from Russia, which the pact, it is believed, does not affect. LONDON, August 22. Reuter’s Berlin correspondent says that the French Ambassador has requested French residents to leave Germany. LONDON, August 22. Soviet Embassy circles here expressed the opinion that there was no reason for Britain and France to abandon their negotiations in Moscow. They declared that the clue to the Russo-German Pact decision was to be found in the fact that the Kremlin has known weary months of haggling with the British and the French. THE HAGUE, August 22. Leave to the Dutch coast and frontier troops has been withdrawn. NEW YORK, August 22. The stock market, envisaging the Russo-German pact as an indication that the European crisis will be resolved peacefully, reacted favourably, and general list stocks gained two points, while higher-priced shares rose by up to five points. Steel, motors, rubbers and oils were among the largest gainers. Polish bonds lost from one to nine points. German and Italian bonds rose.