Londob, Apr. 30, Leading diplomatic experts here yesterday were frankly baffled the Soviet decree forbidding transit of war materials via the Soviet Union, They said the decree permitted {wo interpretations which apparently Firstly, It could be a Russian gesture 6f appeasement to Germany, Insofar as it" blocked transit vi Russia of Swedish armaments destined for Turkey, Reliable sources last week reported that Moscow had consented to that traffic If such trae now was forbidden, it would impede Turkish resistance to "Germany. Although diplomats id not believe Swedish arms ship to Turkey were planned one big, scale, the decree would clearly hurt" Turkey. This would Imply. a radical departure from Russia's previous encouragement of Turkish defence measures, and Would est that a Soviet-German under-sanding had been reached regard ing Turkey's fate, Bvidenco of any such understanding hitherto had been tacking.
Experts agreed that the decree could be of far greater importance blocking German-Japanese arms traffic," which was assumed 10. be almost ina one-way direction to= ward. Japai Such application of the decree would somewhat hamper Japan's war with" China, and would be in accordance with" Fussia's interests, but it also Would deprive Japan. war supplies for possible use against Britain" and America, for whose! security Moscow had shown no ex-ens, sled, cal acerae might take is essential anti= yor Impression was th
Axis character palatable to Ger many by operating against Turkey.
Tran and Afghanistan also. were amtecta, as the. deetce cut then of from dhe potential armaments saurel Germanys Japan and. Sweden United Press, Tokyo "Mildly Surprised"
'Tokyo, Apr. 30, While official information has not yet been received, competent thorities are mildly astonished garding. the Soviet decree banning the teansit'of war materials through It is said, however, that economic negotiations' with the Soviet Govern= ment are continuing although believed they are not concerned with war materials, It is pointed out that the Soviet decree mentions certain exceptions by special authorization. wade agreement, and Japan will probably be unaffected.
Evening papers here published 'Moscow despatches on the decree without comment, "ey also carried Saying tat the' Soviet move may possibly be in retaliation. for Ger~ many's seizure of the Balkans—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.