Bevin's Plain Speaking To Soviet

Chronicle (Levin), 1 July 1948, Page 5

Bevin's Plain Speaking To Soviet

(N.Z.P.A.—

-Reuter

Commons Debates Situation In Germany

Copyrtght)

jpT Reeeived Thursday, 11.10 a.m. LONDON, Jtme 30. It must be made plain to the Soviet that the Allies, although Bimcere .in desiring friendship, were not prepared to be intimi-/ dated by brute foree o>r blackmail, said Mr. Anthony Eden (Conservative), opening the debate in the House oi Commons, on the situation in Germany. s - . The Soviet blockad'e of Berlin was openly directed agamst the Allies. This seemed to be an occasion when the Commons. sfeould make itself plain that the So.viet' s intentions were first made plain by its deliberate and continuous violation of thePotsdam prineiple of treating Germany as a who-le.

Since the Moscow conference in 1947, the Soviet hafi frustrated' every attempt to enable Germany to play its part in the revived European recovery. Mr. Eden said that if there remained any possible doubt about our attitude and that ot our aliies, a joint communication should be sent to Moscow. In the light of what had happened, it was unthinkable that we should now draw back. If we did, the effect on the Allies' authority in Western Europe would be catastrophic. "We must decide that this is above all an _ occasion when we must stand fifm." Mr. Eden said that he could not believe the Soviet intended war, despite its provocative acts, but any vacillation on our part would only result in further yielding. "If there was ever a time to stand firm it is now. If there was ever a case on which to stand it is this." The Foreign Secretary, Mr. Ernest Bevin, said that the Soviet had consistently failed to operate the Potsdam Agreements destroying to the present the possibility of the unity of Germany. "I think there has ■ been an attempt to see how long our nerves would last. There are no signs of snapping yet." He did not apologise for being patient, continued Mr. Bevin. It was better than being precipitate. Germany could not remain a slum in the centre of Europe. She must contribute to her own recovery, but she could not do so unless the Allies went ahead rapidly with her economic rehabilitation. Mr. Bevin said that *the Allies had tried to get new currency reform in Germany on a quadrifiartite basis, but finally the Russians had walked out of the council. "If the Russians intend the ruthless starvation of 2,500,000 persons in order to produce chaos and to put pressure upon the Allies with whom they fought in the war, the British Government cannot submit to that." (Cheers.) Mr. Bevin added that Britain's American and French allies took a similar view, and the Dominions* Governments had been kept fully informed. Mr. Bevin said that the ulans for a great "air lift" into Berlin seemed likelv to exceed expectations. "The British Government ean see no alternative between that and surrender — and none of us ean accept surrender." (Cheers.)