Paris Bureau's Consent to Relinquish Control: Two Vessels Here to Meet Claim The announcement that the Russian Volunteer Fleet proposes to 1e-establish iis steamship lines from Gdessa to Vladivostok, calling at Far Eastern ports, and from Odessa to Petrograd, is contained in a telegraphic despatch from Moscow to the Rosta News Agency. The Paris Bureau of the Volunteer Flees has consented to return to Russia all the steamers at its disposal and will assist, as far as possible, in returning the property of the Volunteer Fleet in other countries.
The action of the Paris Bureau has come as a distinct surprise to shipping circles in Shanghai, for it was believed that under no considerations would the vessels under its control ever be given over to the Soviet government. Following the collapse of the Tsar's rule in Russia, the offices of the Volunteer Fleet were transferred: hastily to Constantinople, and in 1920 were moved to Paris. Since that time Soviet representatives have made frequent demands for the ships belonging to the Fleet, claiming that they were government property, but hereto. fore they have always met with firm refusals.
At the present time there are two steamers belonging to the Fleet, the Erivan and the Astrakhan, anchored in the Huangpu, opposite the Arsenal. They cannot be moved until claims against them amounting to $28,886.18 have been paid Messrs. Patstone & Patstone, Ld, the local agents. This was the arsount of the judgment accorded the agents recently in a suit brought by them in the Mixed Court against the Russian Volunteer Fleet and Mr. R. J. Elléder, the official representative of the Soviet Governnent in Shanghai.
At the offices of Patstone & Pat-stone it was announced on Thursday that negotiations were at present pending between M. Joffe, the envoy of the Soviet Government, ab present in Shanghai, and themselves, over the settlement of the account. The agents reiterated, however, that until this account is paid in full the vessels will remain of their present anchorage, m&in-taining a skeleton crew for emergencies. In the event of no settle ment being made, it is understood that the vessels will be sold.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.