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RUSSIA'S RELATIONS
WITH THE WEST
PARIS, Feb. 7: Hopes for an improvement in the
relations of the Big Four are expressed in the Russian
Note to the three Western Powers handed to the
British, French and United States envoys in Moscow
on Monday.
Replying to the latest British,
French and American Note on
preparations for a Big Four
conference, Russia has asked
for an early meeting of the
Council of Foreign Ministers.
The Soviet admits the possibil
ity of other questions besides
the remilitarisation of Germany
being discussed.
The text of the Soviet Note
released today by the French
Foreign Office-states that the
Soviet has no objection to a pre
liminary meeting of Foreign
Ministers' Deputies in Paris to
prepare for Big Four talks, but
adds that an "examination of the
substance of questions placed on
the agenda must not be part of
the task of this preliminary con
ference."
The Note emphasises that the
Soviet "aspires to a lasting im
provement in the relations of the
Big Four and elimination of the
causes of .international tension
now existing." The Note also
draws attention to "measures
tending to hasty preparation for
a new war."
Contact Urged
By acceptifg the West's conten
tion that any Big Four agenda
could not be limited to the Ger
man question, the latest Russian
Note "represents. on the face of
it. an appreciable advance on
any previous communication," the
"Daily Telegraph" says. The
West should accept the terms if
the Russians "really wish to dis
cuss the basic causes of the
world's present unsettled condi
tions" but not if the purpose
is to find a propaganda plat
form. The test of this will be
if the Russians allow the Austriian
treaty to be placed high on the
agenda.
The "News Chronicle" says
that the Note meets the West's
main objection to the 6riginal
Russian proposal. "Let us at
least make contact apai'i ti th
highest level," the newspaper de
clares, "and put forward our
views so that Russia may know
precisely where we stand."
"TYPICAL NOTE."
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7: A
State Department spokesman yes
terday described the latest Soviet
communication as a'"typical Rus
sian Note" which required fur
ther study before any opinion
could be expressed concerning it.
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