BRITAIN AND RUSSIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 October 1939, Page 8

BRITAIN AND RUSSIA

TRADE AGREEMENT SIGNEV. [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.) (Received October 12, 10.20 a.m.) LONDON, October IlMr. E. L. Burgin, Minister of Supply has signed the Anglo-Soviet agi cement, providing for the exchange o Russian timber for rubber and tin. 1 is expected to have important political as well as trade relations. However, as it stands, the agreement is purely a commercial transaction, the object being to ensure the shipment of timber from Russia fore the freezing of the ports at the end of October. The withholding of export licenses at the beginning of the war caused a hold-up of tin and rubber exports, lhe agreement ensures the release of goods Russia is needing, against the release by Russia of goods consigned to Britain. . Negotiations have been proceeding for a fortnight. It is hoped that the agreement will be only the first ot < series of transactions. The official announcement lefeis to discussions with the Soviet Commissar in-London. , .. . The whole question of adopting An-glo-Soviet trade relations to the conditions of war is now under consideration, and some of the preliminary difficulties are under discussion with the Soviet. . Some timber is coming from Murmansk and other White Sea ports, mostly soft wood and pit props.