RUSSIA OFFERS AID

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 September 1938, Page 7

RUSSIA OFFERS AID

COOPERATION WITH CZECHS & FRANCE WAR DEPARTMENT READY TO PARTICIPATE. DECLARATION AT LEAGUE ASSEMBLY. (Received This Day. 9.50 a.m.) GENEVA. September 21. “Czechoslovakia may decide today or tomorrow to take up arms in defence of her independence,” declared M. Litvinoff, when addressing the League Assembly. “The sympathies of all peoples represented at the Assembly go out to the Czechs in their terrible hour of trial. (This sentence was greeted with cheers, mainly from the public galleries). “We intend to fulfil our obligations under the Pact and afford assistance to Czechoslovakia, together with France, by the ways open to us,” M. Litvinoff continued. “Our War Department is ready immediately to participate in a conference with representatives of the French and Czech War Departments, to discuss measures appropriate to the moment.” We also consider it desirable to raise the question before the League,” M. Litvinoff said, “if only for the object, firstly, of mobilising public opinion, and secondly of ascertaining the position of certain other States whose passive aid might be very valuable. It is necessary, however, to exhaust all means of averting an armed conflict. We consider that one such method would be immediate consultation between the great Powers to decide the terms of a collective demarche.” M. Litvinoff added that two days ago the Soviet assured Czechoslovakia she would render immediate and effective aid if France rendered similar assistance. ..“It is not our fault,” he said, “if no effect is given to our proposals, which I am sure would have produced the desired effect in the interests of Czechoslovakia and general peace. Unfortunately other steps have ..been taken, leading to a capitulation which is bound sooner or later to have incalculable and disastrous consequences.”

BRITISH PLANS. MOVEMENTS OF MINISTERS AND OTHERS. (Received This Day, 920 a.m.) LONDON, September 21. The Prime Minister, Mr Neville Chamberlain, will fly to Bad Godesberg at 10 a.m. tomorrow. , Cabinet concluded at 5.5 p.m., after a two hours’ meeting. Mr Winston Churchill made a flying visit to Paris and saw M. Paul Reyhaud. Messrs C. R. Attlee and A. Greenwood saw Mr Chamberlain in Downing Street, after which Mr Chamberlain went to the Palace. Earl De La Warr left for Paris in a specially chartered plane at 6.50 p.m. ACTION ENDORSED BRITISH LABOUR BODIES MEET. INTERVIEW WITH FOREIGN MINISTER. (British Official Wireless). (Received This Day, 10.17 a.m.) RUGBY, September 21. A joint meeting of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress, the National Executive of the Labour Party and the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Labour Party received a detailed report on the action taken by the National Council of Labour in the international crisis. Having endorsed the action so far taken, the meeting sent • a deputation, consisting of Mr Elvin, Sir Walter Citrine, and Mr Dallas (chairman of the Labour Party) and Messrs H. Dalton, Morrison and A. V. Alexander, to the Foreign Office, where they were received by Lord Halifax, on behalf of Mr Chamberlain. The deputation reported to a resumed meeting in the evening. UNEASY MARKETS SLUMP IN CZECH BONDS (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, September 21. An outstanding feature of uneasy markets is the slump in Czech bonds, 8 per cents falling £l5 to £52, compared wrtii last year’s high value of £lO5.