BRITAIN AND SOVIET

Hokitika Guardian, 7 November 1929, Page 3

BRITAIN AND SOVIET

(1 O'VER NM ENT MOT lON

TO RESUME RELATIONS

CONSKII.VATI V K AMUNDMEXT

(British Official Wireless)

RUGBY, Nov. 6

The Secretary of State for foreign Affairs, Hon. A. Hendorson, in tin: House of Commons, moved the following resolution:— “That this House is of opinion that the resumption of full diplomatic relations between this country and li"ssia is desirable, and approves the

procedure for the settlement of ti e questions outstanding between the two countries, including those relating to propaganda and debts, as set out in tho Protocol of October 3rd.”

Healing with economic disadvantages of the present state of affairs, Mr Henderson said that the exports of British produce and manufactures to Russia- had considerably fallen off. In the year 1925 they amounted to £6,240,000 while in 1928 they amounted to only £2,716,000. The recentlyissued report of the very important Trade Delegation, which visited Russia, indicated thatstlic Committee was satisfied that there was a great volume of. busness available for Britain,

..subject to diplomatic recognition being afforded, ami if arrangements x could be made for the . financing of business on long-term credits. There had been < a good deal of misapprehension on one point., “I want to say emphatically,” said Mr Henderson, “that the Government does >not intend to recommend Parliament to pledge the credit of the British taxpayers to any loans raised by the Soviet Government.” Under the Protocol, continued Mr Henderson, the condition of the resumption of relations was the exchange of reciprocal guarantees relative to propaganda. He read Article XVI of. the treaty signed on chc stli of i October, 1924, which deals with propaganda. He went on to say that we stood by the declaration which we, made in 1924 to the, effect that we could not allow any direct interference from outside the British domestic affairs, and we would require that tlio, promise given by the Soviet Government to refrain from any acts liable to endanger the tra:nqmlity or the prosperity of the British Empire, and. to restrain from such acts all persons and all organisations under their direct and indirect control—including organisations that were i' l receipt of any financial , assistance from them such as the Communist International—should bo carried out in the letter and the ,spirit.. “That is in effect, an undertaking that Soviet propaganda will not be tolerated in any form or at , any time,'’ said. Mr Henderson. He added that it had been plainly stated to the Soviet representatives that the Communist International would, he regarded by .the British Government as an organ p.f ..the Soviet Government. Referring to the attitude of die Dominions, Mr Henderson said that not one Dominion had expressed dissent from the general policy which bad been pursued. All. of the Dominions except one, whose views had not bet" received, had requested that the guarantee against propaganda should be made applicable to them. He believed that the House lmd a mandate from the electors for the restoration of diplomatic relations with tlio Soviet Union. In seeking to give effect to that mandate, tlm

Government had honoured the conditions relating to propaganda and other matters. The policy which he invited the House to support was conceived in the spirit of peace and co-operation upon which the prosperity and well-being of the nation so largely depended. “In my .judgment,’/ concluded Mr Henderson, . “it is a wise ..policy; and .is as sound as it is necessary. I there-, fore leave our action to the judgment of the House in the confident belief that the decision will be to approve what we have done, to encourage ns to go on with the negotiations in the hope of solving . the issues still outstanding . between the Governments.”

Mr Baldwin, Conservative ’>leader, said that lie had one qharge to make against tho Foreign Secretary—that of having made a humiliating surrender to Russia. The Foreign Secretary would doubtless, to the bosi of his ability, insist on the guarantee regarding propaganda, but would he be prepared to break off negotiations if the propaganda did not cease?

Mr Baldwin moved an amemlmcii! as follows: “That this House deplore'the failure of the Government to maintain the conditions which the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary laid down for the resumption of diplomatic relations, and'condemns the resumption of such relations until these preliminary conditions have been satisfied.

Mr Lloyd George, Liberal Leader, supported Mr Henderson’s motion.

MR BALDWIN’S AMENDMENT DEFEATED.

LONDON, Nov. 5,

Speaking in the Russian debate, Sir Austen Chamberlain (cx-Foreign Secretary) said that his experience of Russia was that she took all of the advantages of a trade agreement and did not keep her pledges, particularly those in reference to anti-British propaganda. Regarding the Russian debts, he believed that they could trust Mr Philip Snowden to see that Britain did not receive less from Russia than she got from the other Al-

lies. Russia, ho said, used trade as an

instrument of policy. Russia said: — “Unless you accept our terms, you shan’t have our orders!” The danger of Mr Henderson’s action was to submit Britain to this blackmail. Had the Soviet accepted the British interpretation of the 1924 pledge relating to propaganda, it would have been better. ,

That interpretation was vital, but the Soviet seemed to have ignored the

point. Mr Dalton, re-dying to the d.bate, said that the Government proposed to negotiate a new Anglo-Rnssian Trade Tre-'tv. They had obtained a lefinne pledge on tbe subject of propaganda in Article Seven of the Protocol. Mr Baldwin’s amendment was de-

feated by 924 vots to 219. Mr Henderson's motion, was carried

'THE DIVISION

LONDON, Nov. 6

All of the Liberals present and also three Conservatives, namely Lady Aster. Mr Robert Booth by, Mr John Buchan, voted with the Government and against Baldwin’s’ amendment.

‘THE TIMES” COMMENT.

(Times Service)

LONDON, Nov. 5

“The plea that the exchange of Ambassadors with Russia will increase trade cannot be justified,” s-’id “Trie Times,” in an editorial. “The United States does an immense Russian trade, and the Washington Government has always flatly refused to resume relations. Only the busi ness risks involved restrict trade at present, and these will not he lessened by the presence of a Soviet Ambassador at London. The Soviet promise to abstain from propaganda is worthless, for Bolshevism is not a political system, but a revolutionary creed, and as such, it must spread or die. The Bolshevists arc irrevocably committed to work for “world .revol--

tion,’’ the path to which is ‘•■till “across the corpse of the British Empire.” They have never hidden their scorn for the MacDonald Government. Mr Henderson’s weak agicement to. exchange Ambassadors fiist and to negotiate afterwards has given . them an advantage which they will certainly exploit, to the full.” The “Morning Post” maintains that nothing is to he gained and that much is endangered, by the Government’s Russian policy. It says it is satisfactory that Mr Baldwin cleared the Conservative Party of all responsibility for the consequences.