SOVIET PLOT FAILS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16509, 29 November 1927, Page 8

SOVIET PLOT FAILS

NO SAVIOUR OP EUROPE WAR SCARE DISCREDITED (Eleo. Tel. Copyright— United Press Assn.) (Sydney Sun Cables., (Received November 29, 1 p.m.) LONDON, November 28. The Daily Dispatch's Berlin correspondent states that the Soviet's plot to secure Germany's co-operation in alarming the world by proclaiming a danger of war in Eastern Europe has failed on the eve of tho Ueneva Conference. The Soviet has been trying to get on the European political stage in the role of a guardian of the peace, and therefore invented a story of a danger of war from which it alone was able to save Europe. Tho difficulties existing in Lithuania and Poland since 1923, when the Council of Ambassadors gave Vilna to Poland, were exploited. The Soviet's propaganda agents spent days engineering a preliminary newspaper campaign which culminated in. the presentation of the Soviet's Note to Warsaw, written by M. Chicherin, the cleverest intriguer in Europe, and M. Litvi noil's visit to Dr. Stresemann in an attempt to bplster up the grotesque warscare. Dr. Stresemann's organ, the Taglische Runtlschau, denies that Cabinet even discussed M. Litvinoff's visit, and points out that General Pilsudski would • not have gone almost ostentatiously to Vilna if Poland was actually plotting to attack Lithuania. Furthermore, it denies that Germany intends to make representations to Kovno or Warsaw. Thus the Bolsheviks got no encouragement from Berlin to pose as tho saviours of Europe from an imaginary" war and then to circulate the hat among tho grateful audience for badly-needed money. V A TENSE SITUATION . POLAND AND LITHUANIA BUT REPORTS EXAGGERATED (British Official Wireloss.) Roc. 2 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 28. Although the unsatisfactory relations which have existed for some time botween Poland and Lithuania have undoubtedly developed into a, situation of some tension, the view generally of tho British press is that despite the undoubted dangers, many of tho reports received exaggerate this state of affairs. The League Council, which meets next Monday, will take up tho consideration of tho issues involved. The Lithuanian Government recently invoked article 11 of tho covenant in reference to Polish actions diiring the schools' dispute last month, and now tho Polish Government has decided to direct the League Council's attention to the continuance of tho so-called " state of war" between Lithuania and Poland, a condition of affairs which precludes normal diplomatic relations between two' members of the League. The Polish Government will request the League to use its, influence to end this abnormal state of affairs. In the meantime, the Polish Government, as a means of dispersing current rumors, has explicitly declared that vt has no intention of infringing territorial independence, and that it requires only the establishment of friendly relations between the two countries. , The British press comment urges the advisability upon the Governments concerned of maintaining discretion, both in action and word. Tho situation is to be fully examined. BRITISH OFFICIAL VIEW. The Foreign Secretary was asked today in tho House of Commons whether his attention had been called to the grave position between Poland and Lithuania. [ Mr. G. Locker-Lampson, Under-Secre-tary for Foreign Affairs, replying, said : "The Government has watched with grave anxiety the growing tension between Poland and Lithuania.. . It 'is, however, relieved by the fact that the Council of the. League of Nations is about to examine this question at Geneva, and it trusts that a settlement may, result which will restore the friendly relations between the two States. " Tho Government has no confirmation of the alarmist rumors which have appeared in the press, and is confident that neitjier Poland nor Lithuania will be so nil wise as to take any rash action while the deliberations of the League are pending. The Polish Government has, indeed, just assured the Powers represented on tho Council of the League that it lias no designs against Lithuania's political independence' and territorial integrity, and that it only; desires a restoration of normal rela-1 ti'oh.s and the termination by Lithuania; of the state of war which she maintains j against Poland." • |