Evening star., 1939-05-21
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
PARIS, May 20.-Hopes that
Soviet Russia soon would be drawn
into the British-French front
frightened tonight when the two
western powers agreed upon fresh
proposals to Moscow.
The new approach to the stale
mated negotiations between Britain
and Russia was decided upon in
conferences at which French Pre-
mier Edouard Daladier and Foreign
Minister Georges Bonnet canvasSed
the entire European situation with
British Foreign Secretary Viccount
Halifax and Sir Eric Phipps, Brit
ish ambassador to Paris.
Official statements were lacking,
but an authoritative source said the
new plans would be presented Soviet
representative during the League
of Nations council meeting opening
Monday at Geneva.
There has been an evolution of
the British attitude towards the
Russian thesis this source said
Nature of Proposals Secret.
The exact nature of the proposals
remained secret, but a French COM
promise plan was understood to
have been worked out to provide
for a limited mutual assistance
pact to satisfy Russian demands
without involving Britain too far
in Eastern Europe
During tonight's talks at the war
ministry the conflicting British
Russian views were examined anew
and the French British positions
"clarified' in preparation for fur
ther conversations.
The conferences were described
as extremely cordial" and are to
be renewed among Lord Halifax. NJ
Bonnet and Ivan Maisky, Soviet
Ambassador to London, tomorrow
night or Monday.
French diplomatic sources &C
knowledged. however, that rapid
progress must be made at &C.
neva. Lord Halifax planned to
leave there Tuesday night to reach
London in time for Wednesday s
weekly cabinet meeting. M. Bon
net intended to return to Paris
from Geneva Wednesday night.
Stop Gap Accord Expected.
The hope was expressed that at
least a stop-gap accord would be
reached with Moscow before the
French cabinet meeting Thursday.
NJ Daladier went to the confer
ences in the war ministry with his
cabinets fresh approval of his for
eign policy and its Endorsement of
nine new decree laws to tighten
national defense preparations.
The DEGREES covered certain prob
lens in the army and navy, gave
the government authority to requi-
sition any building in France for
military use, set aside colonial ma
terials for manufacture of motor
oils and gasoline for national de-
fense agencies and regulated work
ing conditions on the nationalihed
French railways.
Sources close to the government
had forecast that M. Daladier
would stand between Britain and
Russia as an arbitrator seeking to
draw their viewpoints into harmony
Proposals Close to Russian Stand.
M. Daladiers approach was said
to have been based on French
suggestions made before the be-
ginning of the long exchange of
notes between London and Moscow
The proposals were described by
reliable sources as close to the
Russian stand. but not directly op-
posed to the more conservative
British ideas.
The best description in diplomatic
circles was that the Fernch had
suggested compromise in which
Russia's desire for full mutual
declarations of military aid among
all three powers would be met with
out committing Britain to fight in
an 'ideological' war.
The question that must be an