BLACK SEA TRAFFIC

Wairarapa Daily Times, 26 June 1936, Page 5

BLACK SEA TRAFFIC

A STRUGGLE DEVELOPING BETWEEN BRITAIN AND RUSSIA-' Press Association Electric Teloeraoh —Conrright MONTREUX, Thursday. The Dardanelles Conference is developing into a struggle between Russia and Britain on the question of ‘.toneway traffic” to the Black Sea. Russia wants freedom to send warships to ; the Mediterranean, but does not want any to enter the Black Sea except to execute decisions of the League. Britain opposes that view. The divergencies are so great that Lord Stanhope has asked the Government for new instructions. The significance of the controversylies in the strategic question of who will control the Red Sea, which will become a Russian lake if M. Litvinoff’s proposals are accepted. Britain is concerned lest the presence of a large Russian fleet in the Black Sea, with freedom of exit, will upset the balance of power in the Mediterranean. The Russian case is based on the fact that her path westward through the Baltic is blocked by Germany, and her eastward path by Japan, who opposed the Russian claims as she, fears that the Black Sea shipyards at Forst would provide a splendid feeding ground for the Far East. ... 1

France is inclined to support Russia in order that Russia should be free to assist her in carrying out a League decision or obligations under the Franco,Soviet Pact.

Confused discussion this morning left the position obscure. Lord Stanhope made reservations in regard to the figure of 14,000 tons which Turkey proposes to allow them to pass through the straits. v ,v> v ..

Dr. Rushdi Aras replied that Turkey : was prepared to consider reasonable modifications.

The situation is complicated by Italy’s probable opposition to remilitarisation of the straits, based on the fact that Italy concentrates a greater tonnage in the Black Sea than any other nation.

. M. Litvinoff, in amplifying the position, suggested that not only warships and submarines, but all kinds of aircraft carriers of non-Black Sea nations should be refused admission.

Viscount Sato (Japan) demanded that the restrictions should be the same for all countries inside or outside the Black Sea. ’ •, Mr S. M. Bruce read, a letter ' from the New Zealand Government, stating that it had no objection to a revision of the Lausanne Treaty. The meeting then adjourned.

It is pointed out in the lobbies that Russia’s claim for a closed sea raises a new principle, as no closed sea exists anywhere in the world.