SEVERE LIMITS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20025, 25 August 1939, Page 5

SEVERE LIMITS

TERMS OF PACT

ANGLO-FRENCH BAN ALLIANCES BY SOVIET FRENCH PRESS WARNING ‘ ‘SCAN DA LOUS COLLUSION’ ’ (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. August 25, 10 a.m.) LONDON, August 24. The Tass Agency’s version of the Article four of the Russo-German pact of non-aggression is that neither of the contracting parties will participate in any grouping of Powers which is either directly or indirectly aimed against the Other contracting party. The Moscow paper Izvestia voices the officiaL Soviet opinion that the "pact ends the Russo-German hostility, which enemies of both: sides have tried in vain to perpetuate.”

The German spokesman declared that article four precludes a Soviet alliance with Britain and France, but does not preclude closer Soviet agreement with Germany.

It is stated that the pact is “guided by the desire to strengthen the cause of peace between the German and Soviet 'Republics and is based on the fundamental stipulations of the neutrality agreement concluded in April 1926.”

News of the pact caused a panic and exodus of Jews from Slovakia to Hungary. Frontier guards confiscated money and valuables before allowing them to leave.

Among .the few French comments on the pact, the Paris journal Epoque denounces the “scnndalbus collusion of Nazism and Bolshevism” anfi declares that such a backward step would be made impossible unless the democracies want to be under Herr Hitler’s heel before next year. The journal concludes: “Let us tell Herr Hitler that if he wants war we are ready."

The Rome journal II Messagero says the pact does Little to justify the war measures taken 'by the democratic Powers and adds that neither Britain, France nor even Poland are endangered. “It is reason itselif which is endangered and we refuse to believe that the extreme step will be taken,” states ithe journal.