BRITAIN AND THE REDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 838, 5 December 1929, Page 9

BRITAIN AND THE REDS

BIRKENHEAD STARTS DEBATE IN LORDS

SUSPICIOUS OF SOVIET

British Official It ii elesa Itccd. 10.5 a.m. RUGBY, Wednesday

The resumption of diplomatic relations with Russia was the subject of a debate in the House of Lords. It »a>initiated by Lord Birkenhead, who called attention to recent Soviet rove lutiouarv propaganda, invited a statement of the policy of the Government, and moved a resolution that a resumption of relations at present was undesirable.

Lord Thomson, a member of th Cabinet, replying. _ said tho police <,i the Government was to resume normal diplomatic relations with Russia with the least possible delay, and at th same time to safeguard British inter ests. not only in this country, but throughout the world. The Govern ment hoped to contribute to the maintenance of world peace, and to ex pand British trade. It was the Go\ evnment’s view that relations with the Soviet Government should never have been broken off. The policy of refusing relations because they could not accept the promises of the Soviet Government was a policy of despair. It would mean that the present state of affairs would continue indefinitely. Ambassadors had not yet been ex changed, and a pledge regarding propaganda had not yet been given. The Government had not renounced and would not renounce its right to take any measure it might think necessary to check foreign subversive propaganda, from whatever source it

might emanate. Lord Brentford asked whether, n the face of that declaration, if propaganda continued either in Britain or in the Empire, instigated by the Russian Government, Russia's envoy would be sent out again. Lord Thomson: If it Is instigated by the Russian Government, most certainly. Lord Birkenhead: Including tho Third International? , Lord Thomson: Yes. Continuing, Lord Thomson said he did not want, to leave the impression that propaganda would cease as if by tnagic. It could not, in the nature of things, with a body like the Third International. Regarding' the argument that relations should not he resumed with a country where atrocities and executions had taken place, he said the Government did not condone atroeitie-i and regretted executions: but it believed that a resumption of relations with Russia would tend to diminsi\ the system of executions and atrocities which still prevailed there. “We believe that it is in tho best interests of our country to resume relations. We believe that it is absolutely indispensable for the general peace of the world, and that is the reason why the Government is undertaking its present policy. Lord Reading (Liberal) approved the Government’s policy as sound and wise, and in the interests of real security for universal peace. lie would have preferred to see an agrpe ment definitely setting down ihe terms of the relations that were to exist, before the exchange af Ambassadors, but he hoped that when the conditions .were laid down they would be as definite and precise as possible. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Cosmo Gordon Lang, drew attention to the attitude of the Soviet Government toward Christianity and aii forms of religion, but he had received information that there was now a cessation of the- more flagrant violations of the elementary principles of justice. He believed there would be a greater chance of securing some alleviation of the difficult position of the religious people in Russia if representations could be made through ordinary diplomatic means to the Soviet Government.