RUMANIA AND RUSSIA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19104, 27 August 1936, Page 13

RUMANIA AND RUSSIA

WARMER FRIENDSHIP BLOW TO GERMANY LONDON, duly 22. A clear statement of Rumanian foreign policy has been published this week in 'the Bucharest newspaper Universal, in the form of an interview with M. Tituoleseu, the Rumanian Foreign Minister, who has just won a victory over the pro-German, antiSemitic, group,, which has been opposing his pro-League policy. In' the interview, M. Titulescu makes the important statement that a rapprochement with Soviet Russia is the best way of enabling Rumania ,'* existing alliances to have their full value. At the same time, he denies that permission has been given to Soviet troops to cross Rumanian territory.

"I want peace, ami I want it through the medium of the League," declares M. Titulescu. "But I have never based Rumania's security solely on the •covenant. Side by side with the covenant I have concluded special

treaties of alliances, such as those of the Little and Balkan Ententes, which are within the framework of the League ami arc a necessary complement to it. I want peace, and to I hat end wo have need of alliances and friendship with all peoples without distinction. I maintain that whoever guarantees (he frontiers of Rumania and those of our allies is our ally. Our policy towards Soviet Russia is based on the necessity of living in harmony with a neighbour of 170,000,000'inhabitants. BEST VALUE FROM TREATIES "I am not Communist, and have never shared their doctrines, but I consider that a rapprochement in foreign policy with Soviet Russia, who is the ally of our allies, namely, France, Czechoslovakia, and Turkey, is the best way of enabling our treaties of alliance to have full value. I have never concluded a treaty of assistance with the Soviet Government, and I have never undertaken any obligation to allow Soviet troops to pass through Rumanian territory. Such an obligation has not even been discussed.

"While ] desire friendship with Soviet Russia, 1 desire also friendship with Italy and Germany. I do not conceal, however, that those in the front rank of our friendship are the

States of the Little Entente, the Balkan Entente, Poland, Prance, and Groat Britain." M. Titulescu had been creditod for a long time with a policy of rapprochement towards Russia. Tho first sign of the reorientation of Rumanian policy was when direct railway traffic was resumed last October over a new bridge 'Constructed across the Dniester. Ever since the cession of Bessarabia by Russia to Rumania in 1918, with its consequent cmbitterment of relations, direct railway communication had been cut off. An agreement by Rumania and Czechoslovakia to build a. strategic railway between the two countries has just, been reached.

The diplomatic correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph states that M. Titulescu, convinced that the danger of war is very great, sought at the Mohtrcnx: Conference* to strengthen the system embracing the Little and Balkan Ententes by conclusion of a Black Sea alliance. This would have pledged Russia, Rumania, Bulgaria, and Turkey to support one another in defence. M. Litvinoff apparently was not enthusiastic. That, fact, it is urged, may explain M. Titulescu's reluctance to promise that Rumania can be regarded as a corridor .for militory forces between Russia and her new ally, Czechoslovakia.