PACT TERMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 August 1939, Page 5

PACT TERMS

ANNOUNCED IN GERMANY — / ALLIANCE WITH DEMOCRACIES PRECLUDED. ACCORDING TO REICH SPOKESMAN. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. LONDON. August 24. It was officially announced in Berlin that the Russo-German Pact was signed in Moscow by Herr von Ribbentrop and M Molotov in the presence of M Stalin. The pact has a currency of 10 years. Unless one of the partners gives notice of termination one year before the expiration of the term of the pact it will automatically be prolonged for five years. The preamble to the pact is:—• ‘•Guided by a desire to strengthen the cause of peace between the German and Soviet Republics, and based on the fundamental stipulations in the neutrality agreement concluded in April. 1926. the German and Soviet Governments have come to the following agreement": — Article One says that the two contracting parties undertake to refrain from any act of force, any aggressive act. any attacks against each other or in conjunction with other Powers. k Article Two states that if one of the contracting Powers becomes the object of warlike action on the part of a third Power, then the other contracting Power will in no wise support the

third Power. Article Three states that the Governments of the two contracting Powers will in future remain in consultation with one another to inform themselves on questions touching their common interests. Articles Four states that neither of the two contracting Powers will join any other group of Powers which directly or indirectly is directly against one of the two. Article Five states that in Ihe event of differences or conflicts arising between the two contracting Powers on questions of any kind, the two partners will solve the disputes and conflicts exclusively by a friendly exchange of views or, if necessary, by arbitration commissions. Article Six states that the agreement is for a period of 10 years, with a stipulation that unless one of the partners gives notice of termination one year before the expiration it will automatically be prolonged for a further five years. Article Seven states that the present agreement shall be ratified in the shortest possible time. The ratification documents will be exchanged in Berlin. The treaty operates immediately after the signing. The German spokesman declared that Article Four precludes a Soviet alliance with Britain and France, but does not preclude a closer Soviet agreement with Germany