RUSSIA AND CHINA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19258, 23 August 1924, Page 9

RUSSIA AND CHINA

SOVIET LEGATION IN PEKING. DIPLOMATIC PROBLEMS ARISE. Press Association— By Telegraph-Copyright, WASHINGTON, August 21. The efforts of the Soviet Government of Russia to regain possession of the Legation properties at Peking which were lost when the_ Czarist Government was overthrown and diplomatic relations with China were severed involve questions which are regarded here as of great importance. They have already brought the American Minister in China (Dr Schurman) to the necessity of conferring directly with the Soviet Ambassador (M. Karaihan), whose Government is not recognised by the United States, and they have given rise to problems the solution of which is viewed with concern by other members of the Diplomatic Corps whose Governments are against the recognition of the Soviet. One point emphasised by Dr Schurman is that before the Diplomatic Corps agree to return the properties sought by the Soviet it must be considered beyond all doubt that nothing that transpired in that connection should be considered a,s implying recognition. Another puzzling phase is the probable arrival in Peking of Soviet troops once the properties are surrendered to the Moscow Government, as none of the Legations wish their guards to associate with Soviet troops. It is pointed out, too, that since all the members of the Peking diplomatic body hold the rank of Minister, the presence of the Soviet Minister would at once give the Moscow Government the senior representative at Peking, and would automatically cause the transfer of the deanehip of the corps to the Soviet hands.— Reuter.