Evening star., 1939-05-31


Great Britain and France haDe
striUen since absorption OF
Csecho-S -SloUakia by Germany to
build an anti-aggresSion front in
Europe to put halt to Italian and
German expansion. Guarantees
haue been giuen to Greece and
Runania. Mutual assistance
pacts hare been concluded NTH
Poland and Turkey. Russia has
proved the stumbling block.
BY the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, May 31.-Premier-For-
eign Minister Molotoff skeptically
and caustically today described
British French efforts to build
"peace front" as insufficient and in
effective and said "it is impossible
to think now whether they really
want to end aggression"
That is why we must be vigi-
lant," Molotoff said in an address
before the Supreme Court CParlia-
ment. I'VE must remember Sta
Inns warning about pulling chest
nuts out of the fire
Joseph Stain, on March 10, said
that Soviet Russia would not be
dragged into conflict with Ger
many as a cats paw" to pull Brit
ish and French chestnuts out OF
the fire.
britain regarded Molotoff's
address as a rejection OF the
British formula for a three
power mutual assistance pact,
dispatches from London said.
This was a terrific blow which
completely reversed all expec-
tationS.
Not only sources close to the
British government. but London
diplomatic quarters generally
had regarded Soviet acceptance
Of the mutual assistance formula
at least in principle-as GER
tainty. The foreign Office made
no effort to conceal its surprise
at Molotoff's declaration. The
French were equally stunned by
the neWS0
German Talks Hinted.
Rejecting the latest British
French offer as not going Tar enough
especially where the Baltic states
are concerned-Molotof intimated
that trade negotiations with Ger
many may soon be resumed.
Molotof said that the latest Brit
tsh-French offers showed that the
principle of reciprocity with Russia
in any mutual aid agreement had
been accepted but modified by
many clauses so that it may be
only formal"
He said no progress had been
made with regard to the small
countries on Russia's borders.
Britain and France, he stated, only
think of those whom they have
guaranteed.
Not Russia of 1921.
"The Soviet Union is not what 1t
was in 1921" Molotoff continued.
"We are compelled to remind the
world of this, for it seems that even
our neighbors forget it. Our
strength has risen.
ut is time to understand that we
will not tolerate violation OF our
frontiers.
Now, about Outer Mongolia.
According to our mutual assistance
agreement we must help guard her
frontiers. Our attitude is serious.
We will defend those frontiers as
firmly as our own. 1t is time to
understand that all patience has a
limit"
Recent skirmishes between Outer
Mongolian forces and Japanese
'Manchukuoan troops along the
Mongolian- -Manchukuoan bord r
have been reported by japanese
sources. Outer Mongolia is in the
Russian sphere of influence and has
a mutual aid pact with Russia.
Diplomats Interest Intense.
Deputies of the Supreme Soviet
(Parliament had gathered in the
great hall of the kremlin to hear
Molotoff give the Soviet Russian
answer on the British-French plan
for three-power mutual aid pact.
Interest among foreign diplomats
was intense. The diplomatic loges
were full.
A storm of applause swept the
chamber as Stain entered and took
his customary place we'll to the rear
of the commissars on the platform.
In a fifth-row seat on the floor of
the House, Maxim Lityinoff, who
was supplanted by Molotof as for
eign commissar on May 3, was seen
among the deputies.
DEGREES to Be Approved.
The program called for approval
of DEGREES issued during the interval
between the second and third ses-
sions of Parliament before Molotoff's S
address.
Parliament proceeded to unani-
nous ratification of the DEGREES, and
appointment of Andrei Y. Vishinsky,
public prosecutor, as vice premier,
was announced.