CONFERENCE BEGUN BY FOREIGN MINISTERS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24903, 17 June 1946, Page 5

CONFERENCE BEGUN BY FOREIGN MINISTERS

Peace Treaty Discussions To Be Resumed

jOVIET SEEKS INFORMATION ON ITALY

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) lec. 10 p.m.) PARIS, June 15. The Foreign Ministers of the Big Four adopted a four-point aida for their conference, which opened in Paris this even-jL-(l) the peace treaties with Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria, HunJy.and Finland, in that order; (2) Germany; (3) the Austrian lotion, Including the American draft treaty; (4) at Mr jlofov’s suggestion, political developments in Italy. The Ministers adjourned and are expected to meet again on #nday- Meanwhile, their deputies will draw up questions for jcussion. The Associated Press says: “Mr Molotov’s agreement to the elusion of the Austrian question was a surprise conciliatory jture. He objected to the proposal by the United States SecUry of State (Mr James Byrnes) that a definite treaty be disced, but accepted the suggestion of the French Minister (M. dault) that Austria be discussed as a simple question. “Mr Molotov, in demanding the inclusion of the Italian ilitical situation, accused the Italian monarchists of being proiscist. He said that his request was primarily a request for iformation from the two Allies in direct contact with the probm, and hinted that action by the Foreign Ministers might be pessary to prevent a drift to civil war. Mr Bevin and Mr rrnes agreed to the inclusion of the item if it were placed d.” Reuter’s correspondent says that the atmosphere of the Mting was most friendly. The Ministers exchanged jokes and mdshakes, and there was no trace of ill-feeling such as some Servers felt might result from the heated exchanges of the it session.

IWERS’ UNSOLVED DIFFERENCES

“There is reason to believe that Mr hlotov may accept some comprolises at the Foreign Ministers’ conrenee,” says the Exchange Teleiph Agency’s Paris correspondent. lis suggested that the conference sy last two or three weeks. Mr rrnes has expressed the hope that (problem of Germany will be subbed to an expert committee.” The Paris correspondent of the Jvening Standard,” reviewing the awlved problems before the four breign Ministers, draws attention to e divergent views at the earlier inference on the Italian treaty, the rture of Trieste, and the Danube uin. He adds that two additional roblems confront the Ministers: (1) k future government of Germany; 2i the treaty for Austria. These toblems, he says, may arise early if is found impossible to resolve sickly the differences on the Italian nd Balkan treaties. The American viev; of prospects br the Foreign Ministers’ meeting is zat Russia and America are in just as such a deadlock about the peace saties as last month,” says the Paris trrespondent of the Associated Press.

Sources close to Mr Byrnes told the correspondent that there had been no diplomatic exchanges between Moscow and Washington since the May meetings. If the Russians relented in their demands, which could only be learned 1 when the meeting was again convened, the Americans on the other hand would continue to insist on the policies enunciated by Mr Byrnes in May, pamely, that Trieste should go to Italy, the Balkans should be opened to Western trade, and Italy’s reparations scaled according to her ability to pay, and also that Britain. France, Russia, and America should sign a 25year pact against German rearmament. The Paris correspondent of ‘‘The Times” says that because of past failures the present meeting is likely to be decisive one way or the other. “The Ministers cannot go on meeting and adjourning without agreement,” he says. “Success would mean that separatist tendencies would be arrested and perhaps reversed. Another failure, it is generally thought in Paris, would almost inevitably result in the division of Europe.”