Evening star., 1939-08-22
Nuzis Call Treaty
Turning Point
In History
By the Associated Press.


BERLIN, Aug. 22.-Nazi German,
rushed today toward conclusion Of
a non-aggression pact with Soviet
RUSSIA diplomatic "putsch" thai
startled all Europe.
The move upset the whole struc.
ture Of the tense Middle European
situation, apparently nullified foul
months OF effort by Great Britain
and France to get Russia into their
bloc OF nations and greatly weakened
the position of Poland, on whose
frontier German troops were mass
ing.
Disclosure that Germany and Rus
sia-long proponents of rival DO
lltlcal Systems-were preparing an
agreement not to fight each other
was made in Berlin and Moscow
late last night by brief announce
ments OF the respective official news
agencies.
THE government of the Reich and
the Soviet government have decided
to conclude a non-aggression pact
with each other" said the German
news agency, DNB, in Berlin.
THE Reich minister of foreign
affairs, Joachim Won Ribbentrop
will arrive in Moscow Wednesday
to conclude the negotiations"
The statement by Tass, Soviet
official news agency, said there was
desire OF the two nations to
eliminate the threat of war and
sign a non-aggression pact" and
added that Won Ribbentrop was
coming to Moscow for the purpose
of negotiations"
Called Turning Point in History
An informative analysis supplied
to the foreign press by an officially
inspired source characterized the
proposed pact as "a turning point
in history"
In political circles in this coun-
try" this source said, great salts
faction obtains over the develop
ment of German-Soviet Russian re-
lations as indicated by the an
nouncement of the coming signing
Of a non-aggression pact between
the Reich government and the
Soviet government.
1T is learned that after an agree
ment was achieved concerning a
new treaty which envisages an ex-
change OF goods on the biggest scale
imaginable the wish becomes purely
discernible also to normalize politi-
cal relations in order thereby to fur
nish the security that the exchange
Of goods will take place with great
est certainty.
I'm that connection the wish be-
came evident on both sides to char
acterize and support the normali-
zation by the non-aggression pact.
A Return to Good Relations.
THE open and honest mode of
action of both countries, about
which both were pleased and CRATE
full and which made it possible to
observe the strictest secrecy. rem
dered it feasible so quickly t hurry
forward the negotiations about the
non aggression pact, that its con-
clusion is now matter of the i'm
mediate future"
Political circles describe this fact
as an historical turning point, in
that both now revert to the tradi-
tional good relations that for cen
turies characterized German and
Russian history" "
Won Ribbentrop arrived at Tenn
pelhof Airport, Berlin, at $40 pm
d2:2O pm, E. S. T) tonight en-
route to Moscow.
He had left Salzburg two hours
earlier in Hitler's private airplane
He was expected to remain in Ber-
lin only a few hours.
Meanwhile, big guns-some of
which astonished foreign military
attaches when they were first shown
IN Berlin recently-continued to roll
toward the Polish border. And the
Berlin press, as if by command, de-
voted many columns today to warn
ing France that the Siegfried Line
on the western frontier is very
strong.
Inc move was described by diplo-
matte observers as Adolf Hitler's
master stroke.
Hltler's Voelkischer Beobachter
spoke OF the negotiations as Ger
many,s secret" and declared tina,
Inc calm behavior of Germany and
!taly amid worry elsewhere had beer
Que to the knowledge they had a
surprise up their sleeve.
In the World War, the great
Eussian bear, putting up stubborn
nght on the eastern frontier, sapped
much OF Germany's strength.
But If a conflict breaks out TO-DAY
(See BERLIN, Page A-2)