Progress at Montreux The Straits Conference, which looked at the
outset a comparatively simple affair, soon became involved in deadlock after deadlock. Haunted by ghosts of the once notorious 'Eastern Question, it developed rather un- happily into an old-fashioned Anglo-Russian duel, with France and Roumania openly, and Turkey rather gingerly, supporting M. Litvinov. The issue was finally narrowed clown to the light of passage through the Straits in time of war if Turkey remains neutral. The British Delega- tion was prepared to accept either of two clear-cut solutions : free passage for all belligerents, or refusal of passage to all belligerents unless acting on a mandate from the League. The Soviet Delegation rejected the former alternative, and insisted that right of passage under the second alternative should be extended not only to mandatories of the League, but to belligerents acting in virtue of private pacts. At the last moment, agreement was reached on a French compromise proposal that, apart from action under the Covenant, the Straits should be opened only to ships operating under mutual assistance pacts to which Turkey is a party." The British Govern- ment's wise concession has now, it is hoped, made possible a successful end to the negotiations.
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