AMERICAN INSISTENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26636, 5 December 1947, Page 5

AMERICAN INSISTENCE

MINOR NATIONS’ PART DRAFTING OF JAPANESE PEACE CONDITIONS Rec. 9 p.m. WASHINGTON, Dec. 4. Mr George Marshall’s insistence in the face of Russian objections at the London meetings of Foreign Ministers, that the smaller allies should be given a more important role in writing European peace treaties, fortifies the belief here that the United States will stand firm in its insistence that relatively minor partners in the Pacific victory should share in determining Japanese peace conditions. The State Department is now drafting replies to the Chinese Note of November 14 suggesting that Big Four veto pdwer should obtain in Japanese treaty negotiations, and to the more recent Moscow call for treaty discussions next January by the Pacific Big Four alone.

State Department officials make no secret of their concern over the fact that complications which have recently arisen over procedure have deferred for a long time the framing of a treaty which is essential to the restoration of Japan’s peace-time economy. Virtually no progress has been fnade since the United States proposed in July a conference of all nations comprising the Far Eastern Commission.

The cost to the American taxpayer in meeting a large proportion of the expense of maintaining a “ peaceless ” Japan is an important factor in the United States desire that,# conference should be held as soon as, possible, and economy-minded Congressmen are expected early in the coming regular session to demand action unless there are more signs of it than at present.