RUSSIAN PLAN FOR TRIESTE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24913, 28 June 1946, Page 7

RUSSIAN PLAN FOR TRIESTE

“Autonomous Area Under Jugoslavs” BRITAIN AND U.S. DISAGREE

(Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, June 27. Mr Molotov made an entirely new proposal for Trieste at a meeting of the Foreign Ministers last night. He proposed that Trieste should be an autonomous district under Jugoslav sovereignty, administered under a statute approved by the four Powers. Mr Molotov said he could not agree to anything which did not meet the Jugoslavs’ desire for sovereignty over this territory, or to anything T ‘vague by nature.”

He prefaced his proposal with the comment that Marshal Broz and the Italian Premier (Signor de Gasperi) had both publicly stated that they would not sign a peace settlement taking Trieste from either nation. He claimed that the French plan for internationalisation was too vague and did not meet the just desires of Jugoslavia. Italy was a former enemy nation and could not be placed on a par with Jugoslavia, which had consist* ently fought on the side of the Allies. Mr Molotov suggested for Trieste (1) a House of Representatives elected by universal suffrage; (2) a governor appointed by the Jugoslavs; (3) the four Powers to supervise the statute under which the autonomous area should be administered; (4) the Jugoslavs to hold responsibility for the current affairs of the territory. Mr Molotov said he was prepared to agree, as an “extreme concession,” to joint sovereignty over Trieste by the Italians and Jugoslavs, with two Governors, one Italian and one Jugoslav. He maintained his support for the Russian line for the Jugoslav-Italian frontier, subject to minor changes in favour of the Italians. Mr Bevin and Mr Byrnes criticised Mr Molotov’s plan. Mr Bevin suppoited the Italian claim to Trieste, with a frontier based on the French line. Mr Byrnes, because of the conflict of views, strongly advocated allowing the decision to rest with the 21 nations at the Peace Conference. Mr Byrnes said he fully recognised the status of Jugoslavia as an ally, but a great effort had already been made to satisfy Jugoslavia. Britain and America had already agreed to compromise on the proposed ethnic line for the frontier, by accepting the French plan. Mr Byrnes pointed out that the French frontier gave Jugo®«via 3 1 20 square miles containing 540.000 persons, of whom 128,000 were Italian. Italy, on the other hand, would retain 505 square miles of Venezia Giulia, with a population of 423,000, of whom 115,000 were Jugoslavs.

Mr Byrnes said that Mr Molotov’s first proposal was tantamount to a gift of Trieste to Jugoslavia, while his second proposal would mean friction between the two Governors. Mr Molotov, replying to Mr Byrnes’s proposal to submit Trieste to the full reace Conference, said that that would oe unwise and w’ould have the result of splitting the conference into two camps. Mr Molotov felt that his proposals represented an important concession by Russia, He indicated his Disappointment at their reception.