EIGHT REFUSE INVITATION TO ATTEND TALKS ON MARSHALL PLAN

Chronicle (Levin), 12 July 1947, Page 5

EIGHT REFUSE INVITATION TO ATTEND TALKS ON MARSHALL PLAN

Press Assn.

By Telegraph

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Received Friday, 7.0 p.m. LONDON, Jnly 11!. Yesterday was the final date by which tbe 22 nations inviled q ^ to Ihe Paris Conferenee were requeste'd to reply. Fourteen have ^ acc-epted, namely Austria, B'elgium, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Eire, Italy, LuxemboUrg, Holland, NorWay, Portugal, Swed'en, Hwitzerland. and Titri? ey. Sevefr bave' refused, namely Albania, Czecli.oslovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Rumania and Yngoslavia. The eastern sid:e of Europ'e has thus excluded itself from the conferenee, while* Fi'nland bas not yet replied. The Times' diplomatic corresboiident says tbe replies whieh have been received both from countries wbich reject tbe invitation and from some whieh bave accepfed, sbo'w that many misundefstandings still persist. The exeuses for rejeetion are stated in the most extreme mannef by tbe Yugo'slav Governfn ent tvhich sa'ys tbat to take part "m an organisation se't np in advance withont its eooperation and with tbe hgreement only of the British and French (Jovernments cannot be reeonciled with the enstomary iirinciple of eooperation arnong sovefeign Statesv"

The Belgrade Government then rej'ieats manv of the arguments used by ilr, Molotov, d'eclaring that the neCds of the most heavily aft'lieted countries weri* being negleeted and that in ahiy ca.-e the scheme would involve "interferenee in internal affairs. " At the other end of the seale one or two of tlie aceepting Governments express the hope that no politieal discussions will ]ie opeued in Paris and also sfate tha-l there must be no interference with anj nat ional plans for developing trade. The terms of the Anglo-Freneh invitation and the seope of the conferenee prove that all such fears are groundless. Xoitody proposes that an al'l-embraeing and unified European eeonontic p'lan .-lnmlil be devised. »Nobody suggbsts that national econoinies should be niergeil in any wav. The Governments liave been invited to the conferenee td mahe a cornbined reply to Mr. Marsliall 's oli'er of Aineriean help, and one condit ion of that otfer was that European countries should shoW tliey are doing their best to help thetnselves ana. eaeh other. Hence it follows that the* Governments taking part in the seheme should state first of all what their -Gwn resouices and plans are, then declare what surplus resources tliey possess and would mahe available for other eoUttt ri es. "In short, " The Times' correspondent ailds, "the purpose of the conferenee is not to draw up a plan buf to take stock. It is not even certain fha't wide agreements for the excha-nge of surplnses will be made, but the surphises will be declared openly and t'hey will therefore be S6en nfore clearlV.- The best use to which they could be put will no iloubt emerge during the discussions, but their disposal, will rest with tlie possessing countries. "Out of it all a programme of what the cohntfies are dbirig and what they rau do for the future should be ,pro-dui-ed, and then their need's of fooa, rau niaterials and equipment from outside will be assessed. " Commenting on Czechoslovakia's reversal of lier decision to atieuJ the conferenee, The Times 's diplomatic correspondent says tlie news was announced signilically 6n o agli wT-ile the Czechoslovak Prime Mi aister and1 Poreign Minister were in Moseow. The correspondent says the ehange of mind is regretted in London but the wording of the Prague announcenient leaves little doubt about the strength of the Pussian arguments brought to bear on the Czechs.

^Eussia has cliarged the United States with trying to eontrol and supervise Austria 's' entrre eCOfiomic life bj its 100,000,000 dollar aid agreement signed on June 25," LioutenantGeAeial L. Y. Kourasov, L'.ussian High Cotnmissioner to Austria, told the Allied Council. Tlie agreement, he said, violated tlie Moseow declaration of 1943, the allied eontrol agreement of 1945 and the Allied Council decision of December. T^he Pnited States. attached conditions to the agreement which made Anstria dependent on the ITnited States. Tliis was direetly preventing Austria 's re-establishment as a free and independent state. Tfe particularly objeeted to the clauses providing for TJnited States' supervisi'on and eontrol of the distribution of relief supplies and providing 'that Austria must regularly report to the United States on plans ancl progress in increasing production. General Kourasov asserted1 that these projvisions were evidence that the United jStates distrus'ted the Austrian Government. Eussia approved of relief which, iwas plaecd at Austria 's direct disposal ;and Was not accompanied by interferlen'ce in interrial. and eCOnOmic alfairs ;and did not violate Austrra's 'soVereignty. Although General Kourasov detnand'ed' an immediate' discussion the Am'eriean High Commissioner (General Keyes) said' lie liad noted General Kourasov 's statenient and would feply jlatef. The British and Prench dele gates sa'i'd they had no eomment tc make until General Keyes replied.