Facing Up To Problems In Far East

Chronicle (Levin), 10 November 1949, Page 5

Facing Up To Problems In Far East

Received Weduesdav, 7 p.m. WASHINGTON, Nov. 8. A State Department spokesman said tonight that the confereuce between Britain, Australia and New Zealand to discuss aniong other things the Japanese jieace treatv was a logical development at this stage when the United States was working on its position regarding the treaty. The spokesman added, however, that there had been no excliange of information on the subject with the other niembers of the eleven-nation Far Eastern Commission, but they were fully aware that the United States had been anxions to conelude the treaty for the past two years. The delay was generally attributed to Russian insistence that the treaty should be negotiated between the Big Five — Russia, Britain, the United States, France and China — but the Western Powers strongly resisted this attitude. The fact that the United States was busy working on the stand it will take on tlie peace treaty has led to speculation wbether slie is now prepared to go aliead with a treaty conference without Russia if the Soviet still objects to the inclusion of the smaller Pacific nations. This belief is strengthened by the_ calling of the Canberra conference which id seen here as closely paralleling reeent eonsultations in the State Department with American Far Eastern experts. . There is considerable overlapping in all these discussions which touch on the recognition of the Chinese Communist . regime, Indonesia and the Philippines as well as the peace treaty. They are tied in with the study of the whole Far Eastern situation by Dr. Philip Jessup, Ambassador at large. Dr. Jessup 's report to the Secretary of State (Mr. Acheson) is expected to recommend i. iportant changes xn the overall American Far East policy. It will probablv not be completed until December. Dr. Jessup is expected to leave early in 1950 for the Far East to begin a first-hand study of the political and economic situation. The greatest importance is attaclied to Dr. Jessup 's report, and it is expected to be used for a basis for recasting the whole American Far Eastern policy. ^