BRITAIN AND SOVIET.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIV, 28 June 1926, Page 6

BRITAIN AND SOVIET.

THE TRADE RELATIONS. PBXSS ASSOCIATION —00PYB1GRT LONDON, June 25. The Anglo-Russian, relations were the subject of a lively debate in the House of Commons, which was attended by Mr s. Saklatvala, who was released from prison this morning. Mr Locker Lampson, in initiating a debate on ' the motion, denounced the Bolshevists for repudiating debt and the confiscation of the property oi British nationals, many of whom had been imprisoned, beaten and murdered. He eaid: “We must cease to make free born Englishmen -the helots of a Slav State.” Mr Ponsonby (Laliour) denounced the language used by Lord Birkenhead and Mr Churchill in recent antiRussian speeches. He appealed to Sir A. Chamberlain to try to renew friendly Anglo-Russian relations. Mr Lloyd George contended that the disapproval of Bolshevism was no reason for breaking off diplomatic relations, and cancelling the AngloRussian Trade Agreement.

Mr Hilton Young expressed the opinion that it would be a very great mistake to break off relations with Russia.

Mr Ramsay MacDonald appealed tor an extension of the trade agreement. Sir Austen Chamberlain, replying to the debate, unhesitatingly declared that the Government was entitled to complain of the Soviet’s actions, but he considered it unwise to break, off relations and terminate the trade agreement. He believed that the breaking off of existing relations would be useless; it would -weaken our ability to light disorder and revolution within our own borders, and increase the fear of European instability. Referring to the money sent from Russia, Sir Austen Chamberlain said a Soviet Government could not have found a worse field to invest the money than ini a revolution among the workers of Britain.

At the conclusion of Sir A. Chamberlain’s speech, the Labourites created disorder by objecting to the Deputy Sneaker calling on another member of the Government instead of ,a Labourite After a scene lasting five minute, the sitting was suspended, whereupon the day’s business terminated.

Authentic figures of Anglo-Russian trade last year are given in a report of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce, showing that the exports to Russia were £70.000,000 and the imports £65.000000. The latter were almost entirely foodstuffs and raw material, while the exports were mainly manufactured goods.