London, June 4.
'HE Russian reply to the Anglo-French proposals for a triple military alliance, a summary of which has been received in London, is encouraging, says the diplomatic correspondent of the "Sunday Times." Prospects of an alliance being successfully concluded, he adds, are good. The correspondent understands that Russia's new formula for the Baltic guarantees is that the three Powers should pledge themselves to lend mutual assistance in the event of any threat, direct or indirect, to the independence of any of them.
The formula is said to be adapted from that used in the British guarantee to Poland, and implies a full guarantee of the Baltic States, without mentioning them by name, since Russia would consider a German invasion Of any one of these countries an indirect threat to her independence.
"Moscow could therefore, the "Sunday Times" correspondent continues, fake action in this eventuality, assured full ce-operation by her allies. It may prove, however, that the British and Russian views as to what constitutes an indirect threat to Russian independence do not coincide, Russia would probably like to include within the scope of the formula, he adds, not only the direct invasion of a neighbouring State, but also the eventuality of a Baltic State coming under German control by means of pressure exerted from within.
"The principle points of the alliance, as set forth in the Anglo-French proposals, the diplomatic correspondent of the "Sunday Times" concludes, wene all accepted in the Russian note, including the exclusion of the Far East from the scope of the agreement.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.