SECRET TALKS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20890, 23 August 1939, Page 7

SECRET TALKS

BRITAIN SURPRISED

AWAITING REVELATION MEANS END OF TREATY United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (“Received August 23. 11.15 a.m.' LONDON. August 22 There is an inclination in high places to await a revelation from Moscow as to what the -Soviet has really committed herself, and whether it is true, as reported from Dome, that there is a clause bestowing liberty on Russia, to go to the assistance of any neighbour ; belonging to the pact who feels that ; it has been aggressed. The Daily Mail says the pact com- j pletely surprised Whitehall. There had , been occasional hints of the possibility | of a Russia-German understanding, but the present negotiations, though concurrent with the Anglo-French-Soviet. : talks, wc« conducted with such see- j recy'that Britain was not aware of them. The Daily Mail says it means the end of the French-Russian treaty of mutual

1,500,000 MEN

ON A WAR FOOTING DETERMINATION OF FRANCE ■.United Press. Assn.—Elcc. Tel. Copyright) (Received Aug. 23, 1 p.m.) PARIS, August 22 The Cabinet has not decided to summon Parliament. There will be no mobilisation, but units may he recalled to the colours, bringing the Army to the strength of 1,300.000 men on a war footing. The Ministers will reassemble on August 24. The Cabinet has decided to reaffirm, in common with Britain, its military pledges to Poland, discover Russia's intentions regarding the pact, and take all appropriate military measures.

ON THE CONTINENT

BEWILDERMENT EXPRESSED RUSSIAN POLICY REVERSED EFFECT ON ANTI-COMINTERN PACT (Official Wireless) Received August 23, noon.) RUGBY, August 22 To judge by news and reports reaching London from the European centres the announcement of the proposed German-Russian pact at first gave rise to bewilderment everywhere, and not least in Germany, where, in view of the marked difference in emphasis in the agency statements from Berlin and Moscow and the absence of an authoritative expression of the views of Russia herself, a host of varied and often contradictory interpretations of this development are in currency. While the critical situation in Europe compels the most serious consideration of an event of this character commentators everywhere obviously find difficulty in entirely suppressing light reflections Inspired by the spectacle of the author of the entl-Comintern pact hastening to the Soviet capital. In most- countries the tendency—fostered by the nasty and triumphant terms in which the forthcoming negotiations have been heralded in the German and Italian press—to see the proposed pact as a reversal of Russian Policy, has given wav on consideration to a realisation that that is far from being its only or most likely significance. This way of regarding the matter has derived strength from later agency reports from Moscow. Attitude to Britain and France A message received in London, for example, attributes to authoritative Soviet quarters the view that a SovietGerman non-aggression pact would be a serious step to ensure the peace of Europe. Some circles are said to insist that such a pact would in no way be incompatible with a defensive alliance between the Soviet, England and France. This indication of the official Soviet view is regarded among journalists in Moscow as of the utmost importance, as revealing the undiminished desire of Russia to pursue the AngloSoviet negotiations to a successful conclusion.

SOVIET BOMBSHELL

APPREHENSION IN FRANCE “ALL IS NOT LOST” United Press. Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, August 22 There is the gravest apprehension in Paris, but a general disinclination to discuss the Soviet's bombshell. Official circles froze up. The Communist newspaper L'Humanito and the Socialist organ I.e Populaire do not publish the news of the Soviet pact decision, but give prominence to the Russo-German trade agreement, claiming it as a victory for Russia. L'Oeuvre says: “All. is not lost if the Soviet's action cures those Frenchmen who had a mania for mixing ideology and foreign policy.'’ L'Action Francaise demands the immediate recall of the military mission* from Moscow,