SIX-ITEM AGENDA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26629, 27 November 1947, Page 5

SIX-ITEM AGENDA

TREATY PREPARATION FIRST MARK OF PROGRESS LONDON, Nov. 25. Cutting preliminary formalities to a minimum, the Foreign Ministers began their conference by discussing some of the more controversial aspects of their many problems. There is apparently a spirit of compromise abroad because the Ministers quickly accepted a French proposal to include Germany’s frontiers in the agenda. During a three-hour session the Ministers agreed to six items for the agenda, although they did not decide the order of discussion. The" items were:— 1. Reports of the Austrian Treaty Commission. 2. The form and scope of the provisional political organisation of Germany. 3. Economic principles. 4. The preparation of a German peace treaty (frontiers and procedure). 5. An American proposal for draft disarmament and demilitarisation treaty, commonly called the Byrnes treaty 6. A Russian-sponsored item, ” the implementation of decisions taken at the Moscow session of the Council of Foreign Ministers on demilitarisation.” The conference also decided to hold three-hour sessions each afternoon. Russia’s acceptance of the Byrnes treaty in the agenda was regarded as a mark of progress because the Soviet deputy had opposed it during the recent London meetings, 1

says Reuter. Mr Ernest Bevin opened the subject of the agenda. Mr George Marshall proposed, and the conference agreed, that formal speeches be translated and circulated beforehand and not delivered at the conference. Mr Molotov said it seemed to be agreed that the German question was more important than the Austrian, and should therefore come first. Mr Marshall listed points saying why Austria should come first. He said Austria was the first victim of Nazi aggression; in 1943 the declaration of Moscow decided to establish Austria as art independent State; Austria had been liberated in 1945 and had a recognised Government for two years; satellite peace treaties were already signed, but the Austrian treaty had not been completed, and Austria was still occupied: more progress had been made in drafting the Austrian treaty than on the procedure for drafting the German treaty.

Mr Marshall suggested that if Austria were placed first, and the conference reached a point where it was necessary to refer Austria to the deputies they could pass to the next ouestion. “It is important to agree on something quickly to reassure the world,” he said. “We are close to an Austrian agreement.” M. Georges Bidault recalled that at Vienna the French delegation proposed that on the main issue—German assets in Austria—the Big Four should place Austria first on the agenda, but should pass the Austrian Treaty Commission’s report on to the deputies and go on discussing Germany. Mr Molotov said he agreed that Austria should be on the agenda, but he felt the German questions should be first as being more important. He doubted the value of referring the Austrian question to the deputies.

Mr Bevin said he doubted Russian intentions in keeping Austria last. He urged Mr Molotov to agree to the French proposal. Mr Molotov replied that it was bad for three men to agree at the expense of the fourth. They should all agree that discussion on Austria was necessary, but that main attention should be on Germany.

Mr Bevin demanded Mr Molotov’s motives for rejecting a wise compromise. Mr Molotov retorted that his motives had already been explained. Mr Bevin said, in view of the lack of agreement on the order of items, the conference should discuss other items for the agenda. The first of these was the Byrnes Disarmament Treaty.

Mr Molotov said he would have been prepared to devote special attention to the Byrnes Disarmament Treaty, but when considering the treaty for long-term demilitarisation of Germany he also wanted to consider the present state of demilitarisation in Germany, because' the Potsdam and Moscow decisions had not yet been carried out. On the question of German frontiers, Mr Molotov contended that at Yalta and Potsdam there had been decisions on the eastern frontiers, but no decision on the western frontiers. That was another argument for discussing Germany first.

Mr Bevin said the British position had been made clear at Moscow. The frontiers l-eferred to in the Potsdam agreement were subject to the peace conference.

Mr Molotov proposed that the frontiers should be discussed with the peace treaty conference, then* he agreed to include on the agenda'-" preparation of German peace treaty (frontiers and procedure.)” The Russian delegation made a spectacular entry into the conference. A motor cycle police outrider preceded the delegation’s black limousine, on which the hammer and sickle were painted and the Russian flag flown. Mr Molotov, with Marshal Sokolovsky, the Soviet representative on the Allied Control Council in Berlin, whip was resplendent in blue-grey uniform, stepped from the car and unsmilingly acknowledged the hand-clapping of a small group. M. Georges Bidault. Mr Bevin, and Mr Marshall followed. Five of the British husbands of Russian women who were hot allowed to leave Russia earlier attempted to picket the building carrying placards, but the police prevented them approaching Mr Molotov. , , It is authoritatively stated that Mr Bevin and Mr Molotov agreed at a preliminary talk last night on the importance of the Foreign Ministers Council reaching a four-Power pact on Germany. The Foreign Office spokesman said the talk was friendly. He refused to comment on an interview Mr Bevin had with Mr Marshall.