Important Decision By Britain, U.S. And France

Chronicle (Levin), 22 March 1948, Page 5

Important Decision By Britain, U.S. And France

(N.Z.P.A,

—Reuier,

, Copyright)

Receivocl Sunday, 7 LONDON, March 20. An announ cement that France, Britain and the United States have decided that Trieste inttst be retnrhed to Italy to keep the peace between Italy and Yugoslavia was made by M. Bidault (French Foreign Minister) at the signingf of the Italo-French Customs Uiiion protocol in Turin. I, Bidault added that the French Governnient' maintained that Italy should also regain control of her former African colonies. France had agreed to make'Trieste free territory only because ' ' eertain of our parties ref used absolutely to give Trieste to Italy, but France had cd'ine to the conclusion that this regime Was no longer tenable and in the interests of peace between Italy and YugoslaVia it was important to find another solution. This solution, it believes, would be the return of Trieste to Italy. ' ' . The French Foreign Office handed identical Notes to the Russian and Yugoslav embassies in Paris proposing the restoratiOn of Trieste to Italy. Reuter's diplomatic correspondent says the Trieste declaration increases tremendously the stakes in the Italian general election on April 18. The "free territory" now appears tb the Italians as a priae which may vitally affect their vote next month.

Tlie British Foreign Ofliee issxxed the joint decjnration by Britain, Franre and the United States 011 the proposal return of Trieste to Italy. The anar uncement said the tlfree Powers made thc decision because the Securitv. CTuncil could not agrefe'on the selection of a Governor for Trieste and because Yugoslavia had' virtuallv incorporated its 7.0 n e into Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav authorities liad evicted llalian 's from the zone, estabiished a totalitariap p'olice; -foree, conltsc^ttd- land for political reasons and redistributed it, estabiished people 's coxirts . and "suppressod oppositian newspapers and meetings. Yugoslavia 's measures definitely compromised the possibiljty of a permancnt statute' for Trieste ter'ritorv. A U.S. State Department announcement in Washingtoix stated that the Unit-ed States GOveinment 's Note to Russian and Italian Embassies said the decision was taken because Security Uouncil discussions had shown that agreenxent 011 the selection of a governor for Trieste was im possible and because abundant evidence showed that the Yugoslav zone of Trieste had been completely trjinsfonued in eharacter and virtuallv incorporated into Yugoslavia by prpced.tires .which did not respect the d^jsire Apressed , by 'the Powprfj to give aix independent and demo.ciiiatic sfatus to the. .territory. . In these. circ.um^tancas- >the United" Ivingdoii], Ei'pnce and the 'United States had .•oncluded that- the, ,pi;esent. settlenxent could noti guarantee tlre preseryation oF the. Ipvpo righitjs uind. f interests of the people pf the 'free (territorv.

The-pmposal for. thje, retu.rn.of Trieste ro Italy would be subjnitted to the Security Council for approval. The roiurn of the free t e-rxjiEtrdry.-o'f Trieste to. 1 ta'lfJrl'' L)\YlVii:'rtty 'Itad' lieen 'adrtpted as tife' best' solution 'to meet the flemo cra'tic' aspihxfinps ' of* th'e -people and fniake'the re'-esffiblishmeht of peace- an'd sta'biiity iu.'tlie avea. The4 .dispnsit,i6A''of Trieste was one of ' ..I'.he ' inost bitt'erly fpu.ght issues iix" the Ttalian peace treat.w ' 'B'oth Yugosla\ria r aud Italy claimed the area., Tlie Westl. rn" Powers contended that such facts Jls historical and ethnical 'associations made it an Italian area. Yugoslavia argned similarlv thatj it should belong ro her, and Russia ' supported Yugoslavia. Finally, a compromise solution or a free territory was iigreed upon. The only chanee it had to work was that ihe Westenx Powers and Russia should. eomposo their differences so that Uiev would be able to agl'ee on such relativeiv minor issues as tlie selection of a governdr. Diplouiats in ' Washington described tbe ]troposal as among the shrewdest rnoves yet made to try to help the anti-Uommunist forces in Italy to win the April election. The Epeakor of the House of Representatives (Mr. Joseph Martin) did not' tefer specifieally to the Trieste situation, but; Said Uongress might .be held corilin'itously in session" th'rougho'Ut 'the vear in the face of reports "that things are very serious. " Britain and tlxe United States' ea'eh with 5000 troops occnpy the northern zone of Trieste and Yugoslavia with the' saiue number oceu])ies the southern zone.