LORDS DEBATE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 136, 5 December 1929, Page 9

LORDS DEBATE

RUSSIAN RELATIONS ,

IS EESUMPTION WISE ?

QUESTION OF PROPAGANDA — \ i British Official Wireless. ' | (Received sth December, 11 a.fci.) j HUGBY, 4th DecembW The resumption of diplomatic i,elations with Eussia was the subject oif a debate in the House of Lords initialed by Lord Birkenhead, who called att«'ition to recent Soviet revolutionary propaganda and invited a statement cA 1 the policy of the Government and! moved a resolution that resumption of relations at present was undesirable. Lord Thomson, replying, said that the policy of the Government was to resume normal diplomatic relations with Russia with the least possible de*y>.and.at the same time to safeguard British interests not only in this countiy, but throughout the world. The Government hoped to contribute to the maintenance of world peace and to expand British trade. It was the Government's view that relations with the Soviet Government should never have been broken off. The policy of refusing relations because they could not accept the promises of the Soviet Goveminent was a policy of despair. It would mean that the present state of afiairs would continue indefinitely The Ambassadors had not yet been ex changed and the pledge regarding propaganda had not yet been given. The Government had not renounced and would not renounce its right to take any measure it might think necessary to check foreign subversive propaeman* whatever source it might NO PROPAGANDA. Lord Brentford asked whether in tho face of that declaration, if propaganda continued either in Britain or ii the ■Empire, instigated by the Eussian Gov--o™^^ EnT°y WoUld be aenfc Lord Thomson replied: "If it ia instigated by the Eussian Government, most certainly." ' Inter' 4 ?irken, l, lead: "Including Third Lord Thomson: "Yes." Continuing, Lord Thomson said that he did not want to leave the impression, that propaganda would cease as if by magic. It could not in the natwe of things, with a body like the Third International. Eegarding the argument that relations should not be resumed with a country where aetrocities and executions had taken place, he said that the Government did not condone aetrocities and regretted the executions, but it believed that the resumption of relations with Eussia would tend to diminish the system of executions and aetrocities which still prevailed there. We believe that it is in the best interests of our country to resume relations. We believe that it is absolutelyindispensable for the gehe-al peace of the world and that is the reason why the Government is undertaking its present policy." POLICY APPEOVED. Lord Reading, Liberal, approved the Govc. ament's policy as sound and wise and the interests of real security for universal peace. He would have preferred to see an agreement definitely setting down tho terms of the relations' that were to exist before the exchange' of Ambassadors, but ho hoped that when the conditions were laid down they would be as definite and precise as possible. The .Archbishop of Canterbury drew attention to the attitude of the Soviet Government towards Christianity and all forms of religion, but he had received information that there was now a cessation of the more flagrant violations of the elementary principles of justi. -. He believed that there would be a greater chance of seenring some .alleviation of the difficult position of religious people in Bussia if representations could be made- through ordinary diplomatic means to the Soviet Government.