ALLIANCE WITH SOVIET

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 192, 16 July 1941, Page 7

ALLIANCE WITH SOVIET

ANNOUNCEMENT BY PREMIER SETBACKS FOR INVADERS

LONDON, July 15

The Prime Minister (Mr Churchill) proclaimed Russia to be an Ally of the British Commonwealth in the war against Germany, in the House of Commons to-day. He told the House that the agreement had the full consent of the British and Russian people and could not but exert an important influence on the future course of the war. "It is, of course, an alliance," he added amid cheers.

-No substantial change on the Eastern Front is reported in to-day's communiques. Moscow announces "no important alteration," and the brief German communique declares that operations are proceeding steadily.

In the central sector of the front, according to an unofficial report by the correspondent of the Moscow paper Izvestia, which is not confirmed, the Germans have been driven back across the River Dnieper for a distance of 19 miles.

The Russian communique reports severe fighting on the line of the German advance towards Leningrad, to the north-west, and Smolensk,, in the south-west.

Two days ago the Germans claimed that their forces were at the gates of Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine, but to-day their official statement admits that the forces are still 100 miles southWest of the city. The German News Agency is still turning out news of operations in localities which the enemy long ago claimed to have passed. Moscow announces air raids on German airfields and the Rumanian oilfield region at Ploesti, and the Italian News Agency quotes a Rumanian report that Bucharest has also been raided.

Russian guerrilla forces are reported to be continuing to operate far and wide.

Finnish communiques add nothing to the claim made yesterday that Finnish troops had advanced 40 miles into Russian territory. Later. To-night's communique seems to confirm the opinion of .some experts that the German campaign is not going quite according to plan. The Russians report a big battle cast of the southern extremity of Lake Peipus and claim to have surrohnded the German troops and annihilated them. In the Smolensk sector the Russian communique reports fighting all night with heavy losses to both sides. In the Ukraine a counter-attack has heen launched on German infantry attempting to join up with their tanks. The Russians do not say how far the enemy's forward units have advanced, hut they do say they are in a difficult position. The Russians claim to have brought down 52 machines yesterday for the loss of 24 planes.

RELATIONS WITH SOVIET.

AN APT PRONOUNCEMENT

(Rec. 0.45 a.m.)

RUGBY, July 15.

In his statement in the House of Commons Mr Churchill spoko of tlie Anglo-Soviet declaration, which he said carried with it the full assent of the British and Russian people and the British Dominions for united action against the common foe. "It is, of course, an alliance and the Russian people are now our Allies," lie added amid cheers, reading an extract from a recent siieech by fieldMarshal Smuts in which he said: "Let no one say we now are in league with the Communists and fighting the battle of Communism. More fitly can neutralists fence-sitters be charged with fighting the battlo of Nazism. "If Hitler, in his insane megalomania, has driven Russia to fight him in self-defence wo bless her arms and wish her all success without for a moment identifying ourselves with her Communistic creed. Hitler has made her his enemy and not us fnendly to her creed, jflfjt' as previously ho treacherously made her his friend without embracing Communism. Mr Churchill said these words expressed the views of the British Government. . ' . The Foreign Secretary (Mr Eden), he continued, had been instrumental in bringing about a great measure ot agreement between the Soviet Union and the Polish Republic and. although the negotiations had not yet concluded, he was hopeful that another important step would soon be taken in marshalling the people of the world against the Nazi criminal.—Official "Wireless.