LABOUR CABLES THE SOVIET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17039, 12 May 1923, Page 1

LABOUR CABLES THE SOVIET.

AN APPEAL FOR RUSSIAN RESTRAINT. RUPTURE WITH BRITAIN MAY BE AVOIDED. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.—Aus. and N Z Cable Assn. (Received May 12, 9.25 am.) LONDON, May 11. The Executive of the Parliamentary Laboui Party has cabled to she Soviet that thei British Government's decision to send a gunboat to Murmansk with orders to use force in the event of further arrests of British trawlers has caused grave concern. The Labour Party, in a most friendly spirit, begs the Soviet to refrain from any action precipitating any resort to force, or to an outbreak of war, until. furthor negotiations have taken place on the British Ultimatum to Russia. The cable continues:— “ We are working here for peace and the full recognition of Russia, and view with alarm any possibility of a rupture before all means to arbitrate or negotiate have been tried.” The Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Express” says that the Soviet is no more anxious than Brita n for a rupture. There is stUl a possibility that this will be averted, and that the Soviet, having learned' tbs error of their ways, will not cast aside the fruits of the Trade Agreement, which has been more material for Russia than for Britain. Mr R. M. Hodgson, British Agent in Russia, Is hopeful of finding a via media. A joint meeting of representatives of the Trade Union Congress, Labour Party, and Parliamentary Party, unanimously passed a resolution stating that the Note to Russia was calculated to revive the attacks of the White Guards on the Russian Government and a renewal of the resort to force, instead of negotiation. The resolution asks that the matters in dispute should be referred to an International Tribunal, and strongly protests against the rupture of Anglo-Kussian relations.