NEW ERA OF PEACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26623, 20 November 1947, Page 7

NEW ERA OF PEACE

MR MARSHALL’S TASK SAFEGUARDS OVER GERMAN RESOURCES POLICY FOR LONDON TALKS Rec. 9 p.ip. CHICAGO, Nov. 18. Emphatically denying accusations of aggression, imperialism, and war-mon-gering against the United States, the Secretary of State, Mr George Marshall, to-night said: “ There is no truth whatever in these charges, and I add that those who make them are fully aware of that fact.” Mr Marshall was addressing the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations two days before he goes to London for the Council of Foreign Ministers. He disclosed that at the conference he intended to seek strict safeguards over the resources and industrial potential of the Ruhr, so that they could be used for the benefit of Europe as a whole. He would also urge the establishment of a provisional central authority in a federated German State.

Mr Marshall accused the Soviet of “ trying apparently to prolong the present unsatisfactory state of affaiis in Europe indefinitely.” He charged Soviet delegates in the United Nations Assembly with using “ propaganda of the most brazen and contemptuous character. Since it affects the very stability of the world, it is time to call a halt to such inflammatory practices I will seek only for a sound basis for agreement. I will seek to avoid statements for mere popular propaganda effect, no matter wnat the provocation. It is my purpose to concentrate solely on finding an acceptable basis of agreement to terminate the present tragic stalemate and speed the advent of a new era of peace and hope for Europe and the world.” Mr Marshall emphasised that without the revival of German production there could be no revival of Europe's economy, but the greatest care must be taken to ensure that the revived Germany could not again threaten European economy. There was no question of the necessity for keeping Germany disarmed and demilitarised. “ The United States offer of a Four-Power 40-year German nonaggression pact still stands.” Mr Marshall said there was an imperative necessity for safeguards to ensure that Germany’s economic power would not again be used as a weapon to further exclusive German policies.

The safeguards must be established to ensure that the resources and industrial potential of the Ruhr, particularly coal and steel, were not exclusively controlled by any future German Government, but in fairness to the American taxpayer, who was contributing hundreds of millions of dollars annually to support the people in the American zone, Germany must be made self-supporting as soon as possible. If adequate safeguards were provided, it should be possible to establish a. provisional central authority in a federated German State and finally to frame the peace settlement. “At the London conference we shall earnestly endeavour making progress along these lines,” he said. Dealing with world problems, »Mr Marshall said: “We are aware of the seriousness and extent of a campaign which is being directed against the United States as one of.the bulwarks of Western civilisation. We are not blind to any of the forms that' this attack assumes and we do not propose to stand by and watch the disintegration of the international community to which we belong.” Mr Marshall accused Soviet officials and Communist groups in many countries of “waging with'• increasing venom, a calculated campaign of .verification and distortion of American motives in foreign affairs.”- * Emphatically refuting such charges, he said; “We have not used the greatest military power and resources ‘ ’ ever assembled to acquire for • the United States a special position, either political or economic.”' ’ He pointed out that both the United States and Britain since the end. of the war. had voluntarily reduced the area of their sovereignty in the' World' and given dependent peoples independence and a place in the United Nations. Mr Marshall denied the' ‘further allegation that Americans -needed the Marshall Plan to dump surplus. goods and avoid a depression. “That particular charge must have ’ a stfange sound to those Europeans-now • desperately seeking the very essentials to life and must sound equally odd to Americans who are standing with money in hand impatient.to buy the goods which we are sending to Europe to meet more urgent needs." Saying that before the London conference he was anxious to clear up issues arising, from propaganda exchanges between the Soviet ’and the United States, Mr Marshall declared that when the war ended the American people held the Soviet people, army, and leaders in high regard, but to-day • that attitude had completely changed.

“The truth as I see it is_ that from the termination of hostilities to the present, the Soviet Government- has consistently followed a course \yhich is bound to arouse resentment to our people. Many actions of the Soviet Government have been provocative, and without any other evident purpose I am unable to explain why the Soviet Government should destroy the apparently deliberately . .invaluable asset of the high regard and goodwill which it possessed and why it should deliberately provoke animosities. The American people had been very patient, but to-day they have been virtually driven into active resentment. Mr Marshall said that he was not pessimistic about the progress made by the United Nations Assembly. .“ The organisation did pass through a serious struggle, but I think it emerged with loss of potential strength.” - '