MOLOTOV IN BERLIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 November 1940, Page 5

MOLOTOV IN BERLIN

INDICATION OF NAZI HOPES ANTICIPATIONS OF CLOSE COLLABORATION. SUBJECTS LIKELY TO BE DISCUSSED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, November 11. A German "delegation of honour" welcomed the Soviet Foreign Commissar, M. Molotov, when he arrived at Malkinia. Despite the fact that the German Press is mostly restricting itself to official communiques on M, Molotov's visit, well-informed circles declare that his presence in Berlin is as important as the signing of the Axis pact with Japan. Though Germans do not believe the Soviet will formally agree to join the pact as a partner, they predict close Russian collaboration with the Axis for the establishment of the new Europe.

It is expected that the talk will be confined to the general situation resulting from the tripartite pact between Germany, Italy and Japan, and the American Presidential election, through which Americans declared their intention to assist Britain against the Axis. Other subjects are likely to include Balkan problems, Turkey’s attitude and Russian-Japan-ese relations, specially the desirability of signing a pact without delay to free Japan’s hands in the Pacific against the United States. A Washington message says it is believed that the Soviet-United States talks cabled on October 3 and 7 may be broken off as a result of M. Molotov’s visit to Germany, which is regarded as an indication that Russia is prepared to coljaborate more closely with the Axis. This is the first occasion on which a Soviet Prime Minister has travelled abroad.

The scope of the conversations has not been disclosed, but the official German news agency says they will cover many aspects of German-Russian relationships. Elsewhere there is considerable speculation as to the talks, but attention is drawn to the repeated declarations of Soviet leaders that Russian will remain neutral and at the same time take every precaution against possible invaders.

It was reported from Washington on October 3 that sources connected with the Administration said that the United States was attemping to discourage Russia from joining the alliance between Japan, Italy and Germany. It was disclosed that informal conversations had been resumed in Moscow as a continuation of the discussions between the Assistant Secretary of State, Mr Sumner Welles, and the Russian Ambassador in Washington, M. Oumansky, which collapsed partly because Russia demanded more’ liberal privileges in the United ‘States for Russian “tourists” who, the United States contended, were too often Communist agitators.

Washington officials felt that there was a greater possibility of success in dealing directly with high Russian officials, so the American Ambassador, Mr L. A. Steinhardt, when he was in Moscow in September, was instructed to take up conversations there. Mr Steinhardt has been conferring intermittently with the Soviet Foreign Minister, M. Molotov, and was reported to be making some headway. The Administration hopes that Russia might be persuaded to remain, inactive, especialy in the Far East. On October 7 it was reported that the Assistant-Secretary of State, Mr Sumner Welles, conferred with the Soviet Ambassador, M. Oumansky, after a lapse of several weeks, presumably regarding the Far East situation. A diplomatic official said the meeting indicated that the American officials were anxious to determine Russia’s fundamental attitude toward the tripartite pact. He said that should Russia be willing to join the United States in a “stop Japan” front, a new aspect might be given to the world diplomatic situation. He pointed out, however, that there was not yet positive evidence of the removal of the numerous elemental obstacles to a Russian-Ame-rican accord.

M. Molotov had a talk with Hitler lasting for 21 hours. Before meeting the Fuehrer he had a conversation lasting for two hours with Herr von Ribbentrop.