HOPEFUL TONE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20007, 4 August 1939, Page 7

HOPEFUL TONE

TALKS IN MOSCOW PEACE-FRONT ENDEAVOUR COMING STAFF TALKS MO LOTOV’S ASSURANCE BRIDGING DIVERGENCIES (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Aug. 3, 9 a.m.) LONDON, July 3. The special correspondent of The Times at Moscow, recording impressions made by Mr. Neville Chamberlain’s speech of July 31, adds that matters have now got far enough to enable practical details to be _ discussed. "We now have M. Molotov’s word that the coming military mission will enable the remaining divergencies of

view to be eliminated and it -looks as if the Soviet is at last ready to be convinced,” adds the correspondent. A press telegram states that yesterday’s Anglo-French-Russian negotiations lasted an hour and a quarter, and the atmosphere at the end was described as optimistic. It is generally believed in wellinformed circles in Moscow that the conversations covered the formulation of the agenda for the forthcoming staff talks and a further attempt to establish a mutually-agreeable definition of indirect aggression.. Voyage By Missions It is understood that the British and French military, naval and air missions to Moscow, will travel ' by sea, leaving England on Saturday or Sunday. At question time in the House of Commons yesterday, the Foreign Under-Secretary, Mr. R. A. Butler, recalled the statement by the Foreign Secretary, Viscount Halifax, at the League Council in May that Britain would propose to take an appropriate opportunity for communicating to the League the result of the negotiations upon which Britain was engaged in connection with the European security and which were in strict conformity with the spirit of the covenant. Mr. Butler declared that that was still the Government's intention, but he declined’ to accept the suggestion of a member ihat the British delegation to the League Assembly should table a resolution on the subject.