WISER COUNSELS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1933, Page 6

WISER COUNSELS.

If the report of the impending visit to London of the Soviet Foreign Minister, M. Litvinoff, is correct,' it looks as though wiser counsels are likely to prevail at Moscow. It is stated that M. Litvinoff is to endeavour to put trade relations between Great Britain and Russia on a better footing. As the result of the farcical trial and the imprisonment of British nationals at Moscow the British authorities placed an embargo upon imports from Russia, and the consequences of that action are evidently proving more serious than the Soviet anticipated. As a matter of fact, Great Britain last year absorbed 23.7 per cent, of the Russian exports, but supplied only 7.3 per cent, of her imports. As the successful development of the second Five Years’ Plan in Russia depends upon finding a market for exports the loss of the trade with Great Britain, where payments were chiefly in cash, must be very disconcerting. In obtaining the consent of the House of Commons to the embargo the British Foreign Minister, Sir John Simon, stated that the embargo was intended purely as an intimation to the Soviet that injustice to British residents would not be tolerated. It is not surprising therefore that the Russian authorities are said to be willing to release the two British engineers, Messrs. Thornton and MacDonald, who were found guilty by a Russian court of the crime of espionage. If that action precedes the

visit of M. Litvinoff there is some hope that the trade deadlock 'between the two countries may be removed. But unless the Soviet shows by definite action that its good faith can be relied upon the prospects for the new negotiations are not very bright