RUSSIA AND CHINA.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17886, 5 December 1929, Page 5

RUSSIA AND CHINA.

AMERICAN INTERVENTION

RESENTED BY THE SOVIET. NOT A FRIENDLY ACT. United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. —Copyrlgm MOSCOW, Dec. 4. The Soviet Government’s reply to the United States Note on Manchuria was handed to M. Harbette, the French Ambassador, by Litvinoff, the assistant Foreign Commissar. The reply points out that the United States has appealed to the Soviet when Russia was directly negotiating with Mukden. Such action was not a justifiable pressure on these negotiations, and so could not be regarded as a friendly act. The Russo-Chinese dispute must be settled by direct negotiations, with which interference is not permissible; The Soviet is amazed that the United States, which by its own desire; has had no official relations with Russia, should offer advice and counsel.

The reply says the Soviet, unlike other Powers, has never resorted to military action for defence ( but has pursued a policy of peace from the first day of its existence, which it intends to continue, independently of the Paris Pact.

The Nanking Government during recent years has carried on a provocative policy, culminating in the seizure of the Eastern Railway. The Soviet believes that similar action towards the United States, Britain or France, would be considered a sufficient cause for putting into operation their reservations made when signing the pact renouncing war. The Soviet Government then declared that it did not recognise those reservations, and did not intend to use them.

A FRENCH NOTE. PROTOCOL SIGNED. LONDON, Dec. 3. The French Government has presented a memorandum in terms similar to those presented by Britain and the United States to the Chinese and Soviet Governments, calling their attention to their obligations under the Kellogg Pact in connection with, the situation In Manchuria. MOSCOW, Dec. 3. The Harbin Diplomatic Commissioner, Te Ai Yu-shen, and the Russian Foreign Commissar, Simoncvsk, have signed a protocol for reorganising the administration of the Chinese Eastern Railway in conformity • with the Mukden agreements of 1924. The agreements referred to in the above message were namely, (1) that the railway is a purely commercial enterprise; (2) that the railway may be redeemed by China with Chinese capital; (3) that the contracting parties shall draw up an arrangement for the provisional management of the railway. The question of the employment of White Russians was not agreed upon.

LATER. 1 MR STIMSON’S NOTE. SURPRISE EXPRESSED AT REPLIES (Received December 5, 9.15 a-m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 4. Considerable surprise is expressed by the State Department at Moscow’s reply to Mr Stlmson’s note regarding Russian-Chinese relations. The answers 'from other Kellogg Pact signatories to Mr Stimson’s request that they co-operate have rather complicated than clarified the situation. A summary of the latest responses Is as follows: —Mexico agreed to address Nanking and Moscow along lines similar to the American communication. Holland undertook to communicate with China, but not the Soviet, with which is has no diplomatic relations. Cuba promised to co-operate. It is now considered that Mr Stimson is likely to reply to Moscow later.