SOVIET VIEW OF ITALY

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24904, 18 June 1946, Page 5

SOVIET VIEW OF ITALY

“Obligations Lie On Powers”

STATEMENT MADE BY MOLOTOV

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (E ThL 9 f P -? 1 \ « LONDON. June 16. -J 1 , 1 ? x? xt of Molotov's statement to the Foreign Ministers’ conference in Fans on Saturday) when he sprang his surprise demand for the inclusion of the Italian political situation on the agenda, has been given by the Moscow S adl .°' Quoting the Paris correspondent of the Tass News Agency, the radio reported Mr Molotov as follows: Certain obligations lie on the Allied .}y e rs which signed, the armistice U aly " As far back as October, 1943. Britain, America, Russia, and * rance issued a declaration that Allied policy regarding Italy should be based on the fundamental principle .that Fascism and all its influence and sequences must ■ be entirely destroyed, and the Italians granted a full opportunity to establish governmental ana other institutions based on the principles of democracy. “This policy was reflected in the' armistice terms and also finally in the Pans protocol of May 16, in which the Italian Government undertook to s ® c Hs e by a * ree election an expression of the people’s will regarding a democratic form of government. The fact that this protocol was ratified by Britain, America, Russia, and’France further emphasises the responsibility of the four Governments for the political situation in Italy. “In view of all these circumstances the Russian Government believes that the Allied Powers cannot remain indifferent to attempts to unleash civil war in Italy by those who but recently were the mainstay of Fascism in Italy.”

The Tass correspondent comments: “The presence of British and American troops did not prevent the proFascist elements from organising and adopting a course of open actions aimed at checking the freely expressed will of the people. “Another Russian, proposal which, like the met British and American objections, was Mr Molotov’s proposal that the Italian Government should be invited to express an opinion on economic questions. The solution of certain economic questions concerning the Italian peace treaty has made slow progress because Britain and America proposed far-reaching obligations on Italy, the size of which could not be precisely calculated. Those claims were the true reason for the difficulties.”