QUESTIONS BY THE BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 September 1939, Page 5

QUESTIONS BY THE BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER

Definite Statement Withheld Meantime GERMAN-RUSSIAN DISCUSSIONS IN MOSCOW POSSIBILITY OF DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE (By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.) LONDON, September 28. A Russian, communique states that the Soviet Foreign Commissar, M. Molotov, the German Foreign Minister, Herr von Ribbentrop, and M. Stalin participated today tn a two-hour talk on questions connected with the developments in 1. oland. The “Daily Telegraph” says that the Soviet Ambassador in London, M. Maisky, called on the Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, yesterday, bringing Moscow’s reply regarding the future course of Soviet action in Europe. It is understood this indicated that Moscow could not at the moment definitely make a statement since the Soviet’s action was dependent on othei. factors and events over which she had no control. It is believed Lord Halifax also inquired regarding the Soviet Government’s attitude to the re-opening of the Anglo-Soviet trade conversations in Moscow. The response is not known. The Paris correspondent of the “New York Times says that as far as the Germans are concerned the lull at present on the Western Front is possibly ascribable to political considerations dependent on the outcome of the conversations of the Foreign Minister, Herr von Ribbentrop, in Moscow, but now that Warsaw has capitulated and the Polish front is eliminated a more definite idea of the German intentions may 1)6 expected. Certain French quarters consider that a German diplomatic offensive is within the bounds of probability. In this connection it is recalled the Germans have been persistently professing they have no quarrel with France. Belated letters from soldiers at, the front confirm that m the early days of the war the Germans displayed placards expressing a desire to fraternise and also stating that convoys would not be fired on till they were actually on German soil. The object of ail this, no doubt, was to strive to disrupt the BritishFrench alliance. It is observed here that the best reply to this is the fact that British troops are completing their concentration and soon will be at the front shoulder to shoulder with the French.