FRANCO-RUSSIAN DEBT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 23 September 1927, Page 5

FRANCO-RUSSIAN DEBT.

AGREEMENT REACHED BUT NOT SIGNED. SOVIET OFFICIAL’S DECLARATION. tiY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT MOSCOW, Sept. 22. Despite the recent denial, M. Litvinoff has issued a statement that a full Fr-aneo-Russian debt agreement had been reached, but was unsigned, because France had hitherto not adopted Russia's credit proposals. “However,” he said, ‘‘doubts will disappear when France leantisi that the Soviet is ready in six months to deposit a. half-year’.y instalment of 30,000,000 gold francs,' from which first payments can be made' to French holders of Russian securities.” Rumours were current recently that France, following the act of the Soviet ambassador in signing a manifesto urging the workers to, revolt, had decided to rupture its relations with Russia. The anti-Communist policy was strongly advocated by M. Poincare, the French Prime Mi.nuister, M. Briand. M. Litvinoff, making an effort to avert a break, warned France that a rupture would destroy the agreement for the repayment of the, Tsarist, debts which lie asserted had l>een reached. Moreover it exposed France to the gravest dangers. The Poincarist journals declared that this statement was tantamount to a bln ckra ailin " ul timntum.

LITAUNOFF’S DECLARATION DENIED. Received 10.15 a.m. to-day. PARIS, Sept. 22. An official communique has been issued denying Litvinoff’s declaration regarding the debt agreement, adding that it was untrue that an agreement for credits in France had been reached. The French delegation of the FrancoRussian committee is issuing details.