RUSSIA’S FEARS

Taranaki Daily News, 30 March 1935, Page 7

RUSSIA’S FEARS

GERMAN AGGRESSION FRANK TALKS AT MOSCOW RELIANCE UPON BRITAIN RESULTS OF CONSCRIPTION l' ENTIRELY NEW SITUATION By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 10.5 p.m. London, March 29. “Mr. Eden frankly explained Britain’s opinion of the Berlin conversations,” says the Moscow correspondent of the Times. “M. Litvinoff similarly frankly explained in detail the progressive deterioration of Russo-German relationships in the past two years, expressing the opinion that the German conscription law created an entirely new situation. He also emphasised the importance the Soviet attached to the League of Nations system. “The Soviet’s view is that if the paramount aim of the British policy is really peace Britain must support the Russian claim for security against peace-break-ers. Peace cannot be secured in western Europe and left to look after itself in eastern Europe.” “A firm British attitude in 1914,” says the Izvestia,” would have prevented the war. The position to-day is analogous, the danger is equally great and the possibility almost as imminent.” According to the News Chronicle’s Moscow correspondent M. Litvinoff also intends to raise the possibility of a Far Eastern security pact, including Britain, Russia and America, which Japan would be invited to join. Such a pact, with or without Japanese co-operation, would be an immense triumph for Russian diplomacy. The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent at Moscow says M. Litvinoff gave Mr. Eden an account of Russo-German relations during the past two or three years, demonstrating how they had become progressively worse and citing the German refusal in March, 1934, to conclude a Baltic pact. “My own conviction,” the correspondent says, “is that Germany contemplates eastern aggression.” A special correspondent of the Times at Moscow says the Soviet believes peace or war ultimately depends on Britain. Russia is most anxious for peace, but Germany’s intentions are revealed in “Mein Kampf." Herr Rosenberg’s utterances are also alarming. Russia’s feats can be removed only by German participation in a pact for automatic mutual assistance against an aggressor. The German arguments against such are regarded as insincere, which is regarded as equally applicable to the Locarno Treaty.