Moscow, June 20.
Mr. William Strang, special representative of the British Foreign Office, Sir William Seeds, the British Ambassador, and M. Paul Naggiar, the French Ambassador, have cons tinued their consultations on the pro" posed three-Power pact. 1 So far this week, however, they have had no interviews with M, Molotov, the Foreign Commissar, pending fresh instructions from Lone don.—Reuter, London, June 20.
A more favourable view is now taken in well-informed quarters of the progress of the negotiations between Great Britain, France and Soviet Russia, says Reuter's Diplomatic Correspondent today.
The latest Soviet memorandum, he declares, has been examined, and the points of view ofthe two sides are believed to be nearing agreement.
it is felt that at the next meeting between the British and French Ambassadors, Mr. William Strang, special representative of the Foreign Office, and M. Molotov, the Soviet Foreign Commissar, failing unforeseen developments, there are good chances for the outstanding differences of opirjon being cleared away in principle. i If an agreement is reached, says the correspondent, there would follow the task of drafting the text and this might involve a little time.
The outlook in well-informed quar" ters, however, he concludes, is optimistic.—Reuter. J Decisive Stage Reached j London, June 20.
Anglo-Soviet parleys entered the decisive stage with this morning's decision of the Cabinet Foreign Affairs Committee to adopt the French suggestion for guarantees of the Baltid States, Government quarters said tos, day.
France's suggestion is that mutual assistance should be extended whenever the vital interests of one of the signatories are affected. 4 The only difference between present Anglo-French proposals and Soviet demands is that the Baltic States are not explicitly mentioned by name.
Moscow's reaction to these new terms would prove whether she was willing to reach an agreement or not, British political quarters stressed.
Britain was determined to refuse to extend more specific guarantees since the Baltic nations had refused direct guarantees, which, in fact, cannot be forced on them.
On all other problems, such as Soviet demánds for the opening of immediate technical conversations, agreement was already reached, they, concluded.—Havas.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.