SOVIET BULLYING DENOUNCED BY BRITISH STATESMAN

Chronicle (Levin), 29 August 1949, Page 5

SOVIET BULLYING DENOUNCED BY BRITISH STATESMAN

Reeeived Monday, 10 a.m. LONDON, August 28. Russia's campaign against the Tit'o Government of Yugoslavia was denounced as "warmongering and bullying" by Mr. Hector Mc- 1 Neil, British Minister of State, in ' a speech tonight in his constitu- . ency at Greenock. The campaign " showed that the Soviet Government was a "disturber of the peace and a menace to the independence of a small nation." Mr. McNeil said that the Balkans situation must cause anxiety to all lovers of peace. "Rumours of Rus- ( sian troop concentrations against Yugoslavia, which I don't believe ! to be accurate, are being permitted to be disseminated by the Soviet authorities. This sinister and as yet unexplained threat is backed up by the most violent Press and j radio campaigns which Moscow j .has conducted since the war. The campaigns against Greece, Finland, ' Norway and Turkey are almost mild by comparison." j The attacks made by the Soviet ! satellites were even more violent. They predicted for Marshal Tito the fate of Hitler and Mussolini at ; the hands of Russia, continued Mr. 1 McNeil. "I say sorrowfully that this propaganda offensive has not been equalled for viciousness and bitterness since the German propaganda campaigns of 1939. "Playing With Dynamite." "I have been lectured time and again by every Soviet diplomat from Mr. Molotov to Mr. Vyshinsky about the sovereignty of the , Small nations an$ the riecessity to respect such sovereignty. They j have said and said truly that interference by a big power in the1 affairs of a smaller power is a threat to the peace. I cannot believe that the Soviet Government has overlooked the validity of such a conclusion at the moment. I don't think that anyone is planning war against Marshal Tito, but everyone taklng part in this campaign is playing with international dyna- 1 mite." Mr. McNeil said that Russia's I campaign was clumsy at a time when the "Soviet was posing as the "champion of peace." ■ "They have blocked international agreement on atomic energy and disarmament and on the creation of an international force. Nevertheless, they seek always to exploit the love of peace which deceiit people instinctively reverence." The Russian had staged so-called peace rallies to help this political masquerade, but he could not beiieve that anyone would be misled about the purpose of such rallies. "Thus warmongering and bullying in the Balkans displays, r regret to say, the Soviet Government as a disturber of the peace and a menace to the independence of a small nation."