Molotov's Handling of Talks In Moscow

Chronicle (Levin), 22 March 1947, Page 5

Molotov's Handling of Talks In Moscow

Press Assh*

By Telegraph

Copyright

Keceived Friday, 7 p.ih. LONDON, March 21, According to reports of correspondents covering the MoscoW Coni'erenee,- there are mixed feelings in Oo'nference cifcles about its progress. It is felt that preliminaries are still largely being dealt With and that standpoints are still being stated. It is confidently predicted that ' ' something will be achieved, ' ' but how much is uncertain, The Daily Telegraph 's eorrespondent says that outstanding: features to date have been the appearance of Mr. Marshall (U.S. Seeretarv of State) in plaee of Mr. Byrnes — by his own reqnest the Seeretary of State is now called Mister — and his blunt rejeetion in the name of America of Russia's- enormOus repa rations cdaim. Until this intervention Mr. Marshall had wisely taken the line that he was a new boy at schoof and had not been saying much. The crux of the Conference, thiuks this eorrespondent, is this: Is the Soviet engaged1 in a delaying action designed to defer the establishmeut of a Gerhian Peace Treaty, and especially the eonsideration of tlie Austrian Treaty, which must in volve the withdrawal of' Russian troops "Mr. Molotov's handling of the Conference to date," he eontinues, "has been euriously inuddl'ed and hi has made several tactical mistakes. He seems unable to realise that the British are prepared with the fullest docunient. in reply to even the most childish at tacks, yet the Soviet is not prepared to reply or is unwilling to give informa tion obviously available. The rai$ing of the question of Cliina at the stai'L of the Conference is an example of this apparent clunisiness, for what seemed to be the reluctance or even the refusa of Britain to d'iseuss China has de terred Mr. Molotov iiom raising the question of Japan also. 1 ' Was China brought up because the position of the Communist Par-ty there ts increasingly diflicult or as a counter blast to the Uiiited Nations' demanu for the eonsideration of the withdrawa. of Allied troops from oecupied Europe, or both 1 "yir. Molotov's demilitarisation charges against Britain forced him to admit Soviet readiness to destroy enemy ships under tlie Potsdam Agree nient. He was also reluctantly coin pelled to issue the flgures of Germai. prisoners outsixle Germany and has beei? pressed to reveal how much had beei. taken by the Hoviet from the Russiai. zone ot' Germany. Mr. Molotov seeiu. to be standing on uncertain ground uin to appear bewildered by the ino ra. strength and dialectieal efliciency o. the United .States and Britain. "More will be heard of Mr. Bevin h assertion that Britain must not again be landed in severe economic diflrculties by the failure to treat Germany as an economic unit. On the Whole, it appear.that Bussia is being forced to toe thi line, and the elfect of President Tru man's speec-h on tlie' Soviet attitudi cannot be disregardetl. It is fair tc say that Ministers have learned a lot since the lirst Councii of Foreigu JMin isters in London in 1945, and Russn. by no ineans dominates the Counci. here in her capital." The correspondent also says that no reference was made in the Gonferenct to President Truman's speech anci editorials in the Soviet papers have, on the whole, been surprisingly moderate.