NO DELAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1939, Page 6

NO DELAY

IN BRITISH REPLY TO RUSSIA LORD HALIFAX LEAVING FOR GENEVA. CONVERSATIONS IN PARIS EN ROUTE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.35 a.m.) RUGBY, May 16. There will be no delay in sending a British repl?/ to the Russian communication on Eastern European security questions. Lord Halifax leaves on Saturday for Geneva and will have conversations en route with M. Daladier and M. Bonnet in Paris. The AngloRussian negotiations will naturally be the subject of references in Friday’s debate in the House of Commons on foreign affairs.

FRENCH PROPOSALS EXPECTED TO OVERCOME . DIFFICULTY. REVIVAL OF'THE FORMER ALLIANCE. (Received This Day, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, May 16. The Paris correspondent of the British United Press says that if England and' the Soviet fail to reach an agreement on the British plan, it is .hoped that .French proposals will meet the case. These are understood to envisage the re,modelling of the original FrancoSoviet Alliance into an agreement for mutual aid in the event of either being involved in war arising out of the anti-aggression scheme. Britain would then be involved through the Franco-British Alliance, since if France became involved in war by helping Russia against an act of aggression, Britain would automatically come to the assistance of France. It is understood that Russia did not favour this suggestion when it was first made, but it is expected that the discussions with M. Bonnet on May 20 will produce a better impression.