Evening star., 1939-08-23
Ribbentrop Begins
Pact Negotiations
With MoIotoff
Reich Foreign Minister
Hurries to KremIin
After Arrival
~ the Associated Press,


MOSCOW, Aug. 23.-German For
eign Minister Joachim Won Ribben-
trop and Premier Foreign Minister
Vyacheslaff Molotoff began formal
negotiation of a German-Russian
aggression treaty this after
noon.
The talks started at pm. at the
Kremlin, just two hours after Won
Ribbentrop's plane alighted here
from Germany.
1t was noted that the Japanese
Ambassador, Shigenori Togo, did not
go to the airport to greet the repre-
sentative of Japans anti-comintern
partner.
japanese circles were reported un-
officially to be deeply disturbed by
the Russian German collaboration
which has upset the calculations of
European diplomats.
Won Ribbentrop and Molotoff, with
Schulenburg also attending, still
were in conference at pm, three
hours after they assembled at the
Kremlin.
F0rmalities Are Waived.
Diplomatic formalties were dis
pensed with, and Won Ribbentrop
paused only for luncheon with the
German Ambassador, Friedrich Wer-
ner Schulenburg. Even the Gus
tomary official courtesy calls were
waived before the Won Ribbentrop-
Molotoff meeting.
A small group of Soviet officials
was on hand at Moscow's civil air.
port to greet the emiSsary of Russia's
traditional political enemy.
When Won Ribbentrop stepped
from his Fuehrer's plane, the entire
staff of the German Embassy gave
the Nazi salute.
Won Ribbentrop shook hands with
Soviet officials. Ambassador Angus
to Rosso, representing Germany's
axis partner, Italy, also was at the
field.
Ivan Potemkin, vice commissar of
foreign affairs, was the ranking
Soviet official to meet the plane.
Won Ribbentrop was driven i'm
mediately in an American car to
his quarters in the one-t time Aus
trian Legation.
Pact Expected Soon.
That the Soviet-German pact
would be concluded, possibly within
a few days, was accepted by diplo-
matte quarters as virtual cer-
tainty.
Won Ribbentrop's coming-by way
of Koenigsberg, East Prussia-Was
unheralded in the Soviet press.
Both British and French military
missions awaited instructions from
home. Reports on the situation here
were cabled last night by the British
and French Ambassadors, both of
whom saw Molotoff individually in
long conferences yesterday.
The fact no newspapers COM
mented on the coming Of the Ger
man delegation was indicative of
the extremely cautious way in which
Russian was handling the delicate
diplomatic situation.
The newspapers also failed to
carry the news the British Parlia-
ment had been recalled This an
nouncement was picked up by radio
and spread like wildfire among the
alarmed foreign colony, however.
Step to Peace Seen.
Soviet quarters continued to in
sist the way was open for both
non-aggression pact with Germany
and defensive alliance with Bri-
tain and France. They contended a
Soviet-German treaty would go
long way toward insuring European
peace
In sharp contrast to the alarm
felt by the foreign colony was the
almost unnatural calm of the av-
erage Russian, who unconcernedly
pursued his daily task.
For one thing. the Soviet press
was printing only sketchy reports
from abroad The forthcoming in
ternational cotton conference In the
United States was given a much
bigger display than the European
situation
The average Russian apparently
feels that if war does break out
Russian will be neutral and in
strong and safe position. They also
are quick to point out non-a -aggres-
sion pact with Germany is not an
alliance.