DANUBE CUT IN TWO BY SOVIET POLICY

Grey River Argus, 9 August 1948, Page 5

DANUBE CUT IN TWO BY SOVIET POLICY

American Opposition To Soviet Bioc Proposal

(Rec 9.30) BELGRADE, August 7. The river Danube would remain cut in two for trade if the Eastern European Communist bloc denied to Austria a seat, immediately, on an International Danubian Commission, said the United States represenative, Mr Cannon, at the Danubian River Conference.

The conference voted, by 7 vote? to 1 to make the Prussian plan for a new Danubian Pact a basis for discussion.

Thi Russian plan would vest the control of the river Danube exclusively with seven Communistdominated States. France gave the negative vote.. The United States and Britain abstained from voting. Mr Cannon declared that if Austria’s views were not considered any new Danube regime would not be’ able to function, as envisaged, in either the Soviet or United States draft. So long as the United States remained in occupation of Germany it would represent German interests in Danube affairs, he said. If M. Vyshinsky had rejected, on behalf of, the other’ six Communist States, u large part of the American proposals it was useless.for the conference to go on. He was sure that M. Vyshinsky did not mean iust that.

Mr Cannon continued.: “I am ready to go into committee, and I hope that all of us will be will mg to seek some area of agreement.” A proposal that the conference form a general committee and should consider the Russian Draft Article was carried by nine votes to one with the French opposing. The conference decided, by seven votes to three that the committee should decide whether to allow any publicity. M. Vyshinsky said that the press ought to be excluded, in the interests of speeding up work. All three of the Western Powers voted against this resolution. An Associated Press correspondent says: At present the Danube river is divided at Listz, where the Russians have stopped non-Soviet shipping fr.;m moving down th? river, since shortly after the war ended. This has kept nearly 700 Danubian vessels, mostly barges, idle in the American zones of Austria and Germany.