SOVIET NOTE OF PROTEST TO BRITAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 254, 27 October 1939, Page 7

SOVIET NOTE OF PROTEST TO BRITAIN

CONTRABAND LIST ILLEGAL VIOLATES AND DESTROYS TRADE WITH NEUTRALS I RUSSIAN VIEW -FANTASTIC.’' SAYS BRITISH OPINION IBj Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright I deceived October 26. b. 44 p.m. MOSCOW, Oct. 26. The Soviet Government has sent a Note to Britain declaring that the British contraband list violates the principles of international law and gravely impairs the interests of neutrals and destroys international trade The Note declares that Russia has refused to recognise the. validity of the British Notes of September (> and 11. notifying i unilateral institution of British control of neutral merchantmen, which the Soviet says would violate the elementary principles of freedom of the mercantile marine ami would not conform to the international declaration of 1909 ami the decision of The Hague Tribunal in 1913. Soviet ships tire State property and should be exempt from any measure of compulsion applied to privatelyowned vessels. The Soviet reserves the right to claim compensation for losses caused by the British measures and actions. Received Oct. —<>. 11.4.3 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 26. I’antastie is how a high British authority on international lav described the Soviet’s declaration. He emphasised that any belligerent can declare anything it pleases contraband, especially anything useful to the enemv.

HAIL AND RAIN IN [ THE WEST ALLIED TROOPS UNTROUBLED RIVERS BI RST THEIR BANKS R?ceived Oct. 25. 5.5 p.m. PARIS. Oct. 25. | The correspondent of the British ; United Press cn the Western Front i says: Hailstorms swept the entire ' ( battle zones, hut the Allied forces are | not troubled. Roads, rivers and No-1, man's Land are merged in a vast area i of mudlike lakes. Streams are over- i flowing their hanks behind the German advance posts. The Blies River i •a tributary of the Saar* has turned; into a lake. A night war communique states: “Reconnaissance units have shown ' certain activity where we repulsed a • German detachment close tc the Mo- j selle. NAZI OFFENSIVE IS PROBABLE Received Oct 27, 12.30 a.m. j PARIS. Oct. 26. ; A German offensive is considered probable, despite the conciliatory German propaganda towards France. ' The terrain is still favourable, despite j the rain. M. Daladiei . Prime Minister of i France, conferred with the Com- i mander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces! in the West. General Gamelin. RECRUITS FOR NEW UNIT AUXILIARY PIONEER CORPS MEN 75 TO 50 YEARS OF AGE Received Oct. 26. 5.5 p.m. i LONDON. Oct. 25. j Recruiting is invited of men aged| 35 to 50 for the Auxiliary Pioneer i Corps to ensure continuity of supplies ■ to troops at home and abroad. The Auxiliary Pigneer Corps, a ikw . unit, is to be commenced to-morrow. I Its main duties at the moment will he to take charge of stores, docks and 1 bases and the maintenance of neces- I sary roads and railways. CONFIDENCE SHOWN ON LONDON EXCHANGE \.Z. AND AUSTRALIAN STOCKS IX DEMAND Received Oct. 26. 5.5 p.m. LONDON. Oct. 25. Confidence on the Stock Exchange . i 5 well maintained, giltedged stocks ■ being firmer all round. There is con- ; siderable buying of Australian and New Zealano stocks. Australian five per cents touching 100 i, and New Zealand 4* per cent. 1948-58 stock 86.. The Daily Mails financial editor suggests that the demand is due to the •dea that history may repeat itself and the value of exports rise substantially as it did in the last war. NOT FIRST CYSE POLISH GAS STORY 1 K ti > Official Wirdes.J Received Oct. 26. 5.5 p.m. RUGBY. Oct. 25. Mr. Chamberlain, after stating again in the House of Commons that poison gas had never been supplied to Poland by Britain in any form whatever. was asked if it was the view of the Government that this persistent German allegation was studied propaganda undertaken to justify the use of noison gas by Germany. The Premier replied: “We have had similar instances in the past.” NEW ZEALAND WOMEN ACTIVE IN FNGLAND SERVING FOR THE WAR. Received Oct. 26, 8.44 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 26. The New’ Zealand Women’s Association' has decided to undertake knitting. sewing and other benefit work on behalf of the United Kingdom section of the New Zealand forces.

CITY OF FLINT INCIDENT FILL OF DIPLOMATIC DYNAMITE" ADMITTED CONTRABAND ON BOARD NEW YORK, Oct. 25. | The United States President, Me. j Franklin Roosevelt, stated last night j that it was hoped to get back the City of Flint, the American steamer I which was taken by a German prize ' crew to the Russian port of Kola Bay, i The United States Ambassador in ■ Moscow, Mr. Laurence SteinhardL, ' had reported on tne matter, added the I President, but the full facts were not ■ yet known. The United States Em , bassies in Berlin and Moscow had been instructed to ask for more inforI mation about the seizure. : The United States Ambassador to Moscow is understood to have interviewed the Soviet Vice-Commissar jbr i ■ Foreign Affairs, M. V. Potemkin. I The Secretary of State, Mr. Cordeli ; • Hull, expressed concern that no word j had been received of the City of I I Flint's crew. Inquiries had been made | hit the Hamburg Prize Court and the! ' Berlin War Ministry and Navy D<> 1 partment. The replies were without I • information. Word was also being sought in Moscow and Oslo. Probable Contraband. Mr. Hull later said that a smalt part j J of the cargo ol the shin was probably ■jin the category of absolute contra-’ ' band. More than half the iwrgo was I probably conditional contraband. I It is reported from Berlin that the | j American Charge d'Affaires was m I formed that Germany was consulting Russia concerning tne City of Flint The vessel was taken to Murmansk | because it lacked maps necessary for | Baltic navigation. It was not seaworthy, and also carried contraband. ! I II is not known in London whether | the German pocket battleship Deutschland (10,000 tons) or the cruiser EmIden <5400 tons? captured the City of Flint, as latest reports name botn as j raiders. ! The Herald-Tribune, in a leader rej ferring to the City of Flint incident, says that it is fuil of diplomatic dyna- ' mite, but it should be and is being 'viewed calmly. Britain has some I American vessels under detention in British ports taken by their own—not I prize—crews. It is the German con- | lent ion that Germany is following th* i Butish example, although in a some--1 what different manner. ( PRI/.L CREW RELEASED ‘ SHIP DETAINED FOR SCR I TINY ' OF CARGO Received Oct. 28. 8.44 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 26. fhe Moscow correspondent of the ■ British United Press says that Mur- • I mansk authorities have released the ■ i City of Flint’s prize crew, it is be- ! Sieved, on representations, from Ger- ■ many, on the ground that the ship ■ ■ was brought in for repairs. The ship is being detained at Mur- | mans'.: for scrutiny of cargo and mails. U.S.A. OFFICERS AND CREW I HEY .ARE REPORTED SAFE Received Oct. 25, 8.50 p.m. WASHINGTON, Oct. 25. Ambassador Steinhard.t in Moscow, , has notified Mr. Cordell Hull, Ameri- ( can Secretary of State, that the Soviet Foreign Office has assured him that the American officers and crew r of the City of Flint are safe aboard the vessel at Murmansk. The State Department indicated that further details could not be expected. KILLED IN ACTION ' ANOTHER NEW ZEALAND PILOT SEVENTH CASUALTY LIST. LONDON. Oct. 25. Flying-Officer C. H. Clark, of Wellington, was killed in action. The Air Ministry’s seventh casualty list does ' not contain others from the Dominion - in the total of those killed in action. : Four have been killed in active ser- • vice, eight are missing. Eleven are missing and believed killed.