CONVERSATIONS AT GENEVA.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19177, 7 December 1927, Page 11

CONVERSATIONS AT GENEVA.

SIR A. CHAMBERLAIN AND LITVINOFF MEET.

NO UNDERSTANDING REACHED

(BT CABLE-PRESS AS3OCIATIOK CCrVHIGHT) (ACSTBALIAK AKB IT.Z. CABLK AS3OCIATIOX.)

(Received December 6th, 7.20 p.m.) GENEVA, December 5. Sir Austen Chamberlain and M. Litvinoff met and parted with the result expected when M. Litvinoff injudiciously announced beforehand that if Sir Austen Chamberlain raised the question of Ked propaganda lie would have to point out the difference between the Soviet and the Communist Internationale, over which the Soviet had no control. M. Litvinoff had divined correctly and it is understood that the interview ended rather abruptly when the Russian sought to absolve tho Soviet from blame.

Stiil, League circles regard it a3 something of an event that the two were brought together. Gossip overnight gave credit for this in the first place to M. Briand and then to Dr. Stresemann, but the story now most current is that the way was paved by two British correspondents. It is said that after a talk with Sir Austen Cliamberlain, they roused M. Litvinoff from his bed after midnight and induced him to make an approach by letter which Sir Austen Chamberlain laid down as an essential condition precedent to an interview.

M. Litvinoff was .summoned just in time to defer bis departure by morning train for Berlin. A crowd of photographers, journalists, and detectives besieged the Hotel Beau Rivage, where M. Litvinoff arrived at 2.30 and emerged an hour later. In reply to enquiries as to what the result was, ho laconically observed, "Nothing interesting." The pair had agreed to issue a communique, and this stated that the meeting was the occasion of a frank exchange of views 011 the relations between Russia and Britain, and that it was not possible to find a basis of understanding. M. Litvinoff leaves to-morrow niter a resultless visit, except that he announces that he obtained froni M. Briand an assurance that the Rakovsky affair was ended and that discussions would be renewed 011 questions of debts and credits and the proposed non-aggression pact between France and Russia. In addition, M. Litvinoff made representations to M. Briand and the Polish delegation in reference to the situation between Poland and Lithuania in connexion with which it is suggested that the Council of the League may appoint a commission of five from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan to investigate the problem. In consequence of the new Hungarian proposal for a settlement of her dispute with Rumania, under which the latter would keep the transferred arable land in Transylvania but pay compensation for forests and vineyards, the Council has postponed consideration of this matter till March in the hope that the parties will agree-

ARRANGING THE MEETING.

PRESS CORRESPONDENT'S PART

(ATJSTBALIAN AND K.t. CABL* ASSOCIATIOX.)

(Received December 6tli, 8.45 p.m.)

LONDON, December 5.

Mr George Slocombe, the "Daily Herald's" correspondent, in a message from Geneva, says: "As a result of information I possessed I was able to make, entirely on my own responsibility, certain suggestions to M. Litvinoff, which resillted in a midnight telephone call from the Soviet Delegation to a British official asking in the name of M. Litvinoff if Sir Austen Chamberlain would receive him. Ah answer was promised early in the morning, and Was received at 9 o'clock, fixing 2.30 p.m."' The Australian Pi-ess Association correspondent says it. is understood M. Litvinoff informed Sir Austen Chamberlain lie might expect to heatfurther from Moscow when the conversation was reported to his colleagues.

RAKOVSKY INCIDENT CLOSED. (AUSTHALIAN AND N .7. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) GENEVA, December 5. M. LitvinofT has sent a message to Moscow stating that, as a result of conversations with M. Briand, the misunderstanding arising from the Rakovsky incident is closed. There is 110 longer any question of a rupture of relations between France and Russia. When the new Ambassador arrives in Paris he will open pourparlers regarding debts and credits, also a non-aggres-sion pact. Both statesmen regarded an immediate cessation of the state of between Poland and Lithuania as indispensable. [Following French protests, M. Rakovskv was recalled to Russia froiti Paris, w-here he was Ambassador. Franca complained that he was using his oflicinl position for the dissemination of propaganda, though Russia denied this.]