Chamberlain Explains Negotiations

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 110, 12 May 1939, Page 7

Chamberlain Explains Negotiations

Commitments of Great Britain and Soviet REMOVAL OF DOUBTS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 10. Replying to a question by Mr. C. R. Atlee, Leader of the Opposition, in reference to the statement issued in Moscow concerning tho British-Russian exchanges, the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, in the House of Commons, said that the statement in question seemed to be based upon some misunderstanding of the suggestions actually advanced by Great Britain to the Soviet. “As the House is aware,” said Mr. Chamberlain, “Britain recently accepted definite obligations in respect to certain eastern European States. Britain undertook these obligations without inviting tho Soviet to participate directly in them in view of certain difficulties to which, as the House was well aware, any such suggestions would inevitably give rise. Britain, accordingly, suggested to the Soviet that she should make, on her own behalf, a declaration of similar effect to that already made by Britain in the sense that in tho event of Britain and France being involved in hostilities in discharge of their own obligations thus accepted, the Soviet, on her side, would express her readiness also to lend assistance if desired. “The Soviet almost simultaneously suggested a scheme at once more comprehensive and moro rigid which, whatever other advantage it might present, must, in the view of Britain, raise the very difficulties which Britain’s own proposals have been designed to avoid,” continued the Prime Minister. “Britain accordingly pointed this out to the Soviet and at the same time made certain modifications in the original British proposals. In particular, Britain raado it plain that it was not part of her intention that the Soviet should commit herself to intervene, irrespective of whether Britain and France had already, in the discharge of their obligations, done so. “Britain also informed the Soviet that if the latter wished to mako her own intervention contingent on that of Britain and France the British Government, for its part, would have no objection. ’ ’ ‘ 4 Lord Halifax, Foreign Minister, yesterday saw M. Maisky, Soviety Ambassador, who explained that the Soviet was still not clear whether, under Britain’s proposals, circumstances might not arise in which the Soviet would be committed to intervention unsupported by Britain or France. “Lord Halifax assured M. Maisky that this definitely was not the intention of Britain’s proposal, and that if there was any room for doubt on this point he anticipated it could be removed without difficulty. “He accordingly invited M. Maisky to place Britain in possession of the precise grounds on which these doubts of the Soviet were based, and if they still existed, and this M. Maisky readily agreed to do,” said the Premier. “Tho British Ambassador to the Soviet (Sir William Seeds) had an interview two days ago with M. Molotov (Soviet Foreign Minister), who promised that the Soviet would give careful consideration to Britain’s proposals, and the Government is now awaiting the Soviet’s reply,” Mr. Chamberlain said. The House had better await the Soviet’s reply to see what further steps might be required, Mr. Chamberlain added, but he emphatically declared that Britain regarded the negotiations with Moscow as a matter of great importance and real urgency. M. Maisky called at the Foreign Office to-day to clear up misunderstandings in the Anglo-Soviet negotiations. A Tass Agency message says that he left the impression that the Soviet might in certain circumstances be left alone in a conflict following an act of aggression. It is stated by official circles in London that Eugland and France had not intended to seek Russian aid unless they themselves were already engaged in such a conflict.