SOVIET AND BRITAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20302, 9 July 1929, Page 11

SOVIET AND BRITAIN.

QUESTION OF RELATIONS.

RUSSIANS UNCOMPROMISING WILL ACCEPT NO CONDITIONS. (Received July S, 7.15 p.m.) Times Cable. LONDON, July 9. Tho Riga correspondent, of the Times says tho statement made in tho House of Commons on Friday by Mr. Arthur Henderson, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, about fho relations between Britain and Russia has been received most unfavourably in Moscow. Tho newspaper Izvestia says Mr. Henderson's optimism is misplaced. It discloses tho alleged secret that. Sir Austen Chamberlain, ox-Foreign Secretary, several times discussed unofficially a resumption of relations on identically similar conditions to thoso now put forward by the Labour Government.

Tho paper says tho Soviet refused Sir Austen's conditions and is not likoly to budgo at Mr. Henderson's suggestion. Britain must resume relations with Russia unconditionally.

In the speech reforrod to in tho cablegram, Mr. Hendorson recalled tho actual position of tho relations between Britain and Russia. Ho said the British Government accorded do juro recognition to the Soviet Government in 1924. From that time tho Soviet was entitled to bo recognised as tho Government of Russia. It was still so recognised by the British Government.

It, followed that the reciprocal rights and duties which international law recognised as incumbent on States in their relations to one another continued to subsist between Britain and Russia. What the rupture of 1927 did was to suspend tho normal machinery of diplomatic relations. It was that machinery which now required to be re-established.