SPEED-UP OF PEACE PACTS DESIRED

Chronicle (Levin), 8 April 1946, Page 5

SPEED-UP OF PEACE PACTS DESIRED

FOREIGN MINISTERS MAY MEET Received Sunday, 8.25 p.m, LONDON, April 7. The British Government has accepted the suggestion of Mr. Byrnes (Anierican Secretary of State) that a meeting of the Russian, American, British and French Foreign Ministers should he held. The Times' correspondent in Paris says it is authoritatively stated that Russia has not requested a postponement of the peace conference, which is due to open on May 1, hut has merely questioned the possibility of opening it on that date, because she thinks it is not likely that the treaties can be ready in timo. Russia, it is added, takes no stand 011 the matter. In an eflort to break the deadlock hlocking peace pacts for five European countries, the United States is reported to be ready to place the future of Italy's prewar colonies before United Nations. The Associated Press reports that responsible American diplomatic oificials favour this move, because they regard the Italian colonies question as the one most seriously dividing the Big Five and one of the major irritations disturhing Europe's tranquillityj. The New York Times' London correspondent says British opinion is now heginning to favour a multilateral trusteeship for Libya and Eritrea as a gracel'ul way of avoiding handing over territories to any other single Power — specifically Russia. Washington is still without official replies to the American proposal for 9, meeting of the Foreign Ministers. Diplomatic opinion is that the fate of the proposal rests with Russia. Mr. ' Byrnes is helieved to he determined to use every efi'ort to speed up peacemaking, because he helieves that conclusion of the peace treaties is the first requirement in hringing ahout world order.