Evening star., 1939-05-10
Britain Seeks
ContingentAid
From Russia
Asked to Fight Only
If Allies Do So,
Soys Chamberlain
BACKGROUND

SoyS NnomDeTiuIn
BACKGROUND
Britain and France seeking to
build non-aggression bloc to
stop German and Italian erp1n-
sion. Mutual assistance pact ar
ranged ,Uith Poland and pledges
of assistance in defense haze
been made to Greece and Ru-
mania. Effort no,D being made to
drdw Soviet Russia into bloc
Russia has proposed triple al
lance uith Britain and France.
but Britain Wants a looser ar
rangement.
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, May 10.-Prime Min
lister Chamberlain told the House of
Commons today that Britain sought
Soviet Russia's promise Of mill
tary aid in Eastern Europe only
after Britain and France themselves
had taken the field.
Breaking his silence on the gov
ernments security alliance proposals
to remove what he said appeared
to be misunderstanding of them IN
Soviet Russia, Mr.. Chamberlain said
the proposals made it plain it was
not a part of their (the British
intention that the Soviet govern
ment should commit themselves to
intervene irrespective of whether
Great Britain and France had al
ready, in discharge of their obli-
cations, done So
Asked whether, in view of the de-
lay in the negotiations, Foreign Sec
retary Viscount Halifax would pro
ceed to Moscow and have straight
forward discussions" with the new
Soviet foreign minister, Vyacheslaf1
Molotoff, the prime minister replied:
I'VE had better await the reply OF
the Soviet government"
Contingent Intervention Possible.
Mr.. Chamberlain sought to allay
any Soviet suspicion that Russia
might be left alone in intervening
In behalf of smaller states in some
circumstances. He said Russia could
make her Intervention contingent
on that OF Britain.
Russia's position in regard to
Poland or Rumania, to whom
Britain and France already have
given separate guarantees, thus
would be the same as in the Soviet
Ffench pact with the old Czecho-
Siovakia, where Russia was obli-
gated to aid only If France did so.
Answering a question, Mr.. Cham
berlain said the mutual assistance
pact between Britain and Poland
did not exclude the possibility OF
m alliance between Britain and
Russia.
AfAer answering questions. the
Prime Minister moved resolution
destined to eliminate red tape and
epable the government to rush
Through Parliament bills conscript-
ing youths of 20 and authorizing
the government to call up reserves
secretly.
Our proceedings are being close
ly watched in other quarters and
anything that might appear dilatory
might have a very discouraging ef-
feet on our friends in Europe" he
explained.
Regards Talks as Urgent.
The Prime Minister assured Com
mons that the government regarded
the Soviet talks as "of greatest i'm
portance and urgency" and added:
I'VE hope they will soon result in
o satisfactory conclusion"
He said he could not elaborate
further on his statement when he
was asked whether terms Of the
agreement, if one were reached,
would provide for Russian assistance
II Britain herself were attacked by
an aggressor-thus a mutual assist
ance alliance.
Beginning cabinet-approved
statement on the status of lengthy
British Russian negotiations, Mr..
Chamberlain said:
THE government recently adopted
a definite obligation in respect of
certain European states poland and
Rumania) and they did so without
inviting the Soviet government to
participate in them in view Of Ger
tain difficulties to which any such
suggestion would inevitably give
rise"
He referred to Polish and Ru-
manian objections to having Soviet
troops on their soil in the event OF
war.
Soviet Holds Plan One-Sided.
A eommunique issued in Moscow
last night by Tass, the Soviet Off
cial news agency, indicated that
Russia held the view that the
British proposals had been one
sided.
The Prime Minister said that
Britain proposed, following her
guarantees to Poland and Rumania,
that Russia should make, on their
behalf, a declaration of similar
effect in the sense that in the event
of Great Britain and France being
involved in hostilities in the dis
charge of their own obligations, the
Soviet government would express
(see BRITAIN, Page ABB