HAGGLING OVER PEACE TREATIES

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5278, 13 December 1946, Page 5

HAGGLING OVER PEACE TREATIES

( Press Assn-

(Special Correspondent)

MINISTERS' .TA'LKS

E7ECTIVE STAND TAKEN BY AMERICAN GOVT.

—Rec. 9.30 p.m.)

LONDON, Dec. 12. M. Molotov's changed attitude' chring the final stages of the deliberations of the Council of I-'oreign Ministers was directly .dne to the blunt intimation by Mr. Byrnes that the American Covernment and people had com-p-etely lost patience with the "interminable haggling and barCaining over the peace treaties," ss-ys Edward Montgomery, special correspondent of the News Chronicle in New York. Mr. Byrnes indicated that unless M. Molotov was prepared to give imrnediate "and concrete assurances that Ihe Soviet genuinely desired completion of these treaties, the American Gpvernment would withdraw from the negotiations and endeavour to conclude separate treaties. This was backed by the ultimatum to the Atomic Control Commission by Mr. Bernard Baruch either to accept or reject the original American proposals within 15 days. Nearly Declared Failure The correspondent claims that after a series of meetings on November 23 the American delegation made •■;) secret of the fact that they felt that a decision must be made as to whether further meetings should be Hld. On 'November 24 Mr. Byrnes was seriously considering '\vhether he should declare that Ihe meeting of Foreign Ministers had irrevoeably 'Vuled and that the only thing left was for the United States and Britain o endeavour to make separate arrangements with former enemjf countries. On the following day, however, 35. Molotov asked for his first private meeting with Mr. Byrnes. At fhat meeting Mr. Byrnes bluntly informed M. Molotov that his Government and the American people had lost patience and that America "would no longer endure the Soviet attitude of complete contempt for Ihe Allies who had lovally helped Russia to victory." M. Molotov replied that he i.hought Mr. Byrnes unduly pessimistic and that Russia had certain obligations to Allies, such as Yugoslavia, which she . must see fulfilled. However, on November 26. Mr. Byrnes gave his famons "top secret" . ix-hour luncheon party at the Waitio rf Astoria and from that time .vonts took a completely fiifferent turn. The correspondent says that although various interpretations are being placed upon Russia's change of front, which is claimed by sorae to be a victory for the "get-tough-with-Kussia" school, and by others to be evidence of the long-awaited Russian move for co-operation, the facts of the negotiations which proceeded behind the scenes in New York cannot be contested. Discussing the final details of the Trieste settlement, the Foreign Ministers decided to create a commission to supervise the territory's free port, says a New York message. The commission, on which the Big Fonr and seven other European countries will he represente'd, v;ill have sweeping powers over the use of the port and the transit of goods through Trieste. Agenda Decided Upon For Moscow Conference NEW YORK, Dec. 12. The Foreign Ministers have de- .. cided on their agenda for the Moscow conference on Germany, which is to commence on March' 10. It will deal first with a report from the Allied Control Council on its worlc in demilitarising Germany. Next on the list is the liquidation of Prussia and this will lead to discussion on the political organisation of Germany. After that the foreign ministers will taekle the German peace treaty, dealing in turn with reparations, frontiers, the futurc of the Ruhr and the Rhineland, and the American plan fcr a 40-year pact between the Allies to keep Germany disarmed. The Foreign Ministers have also reached agreement on the appointment of special deputies to do=preparatory work on both the treaties with Germany and Austria. The deputies rire to meet in London on January 14 and to hear the views c-f various interested countries before the opening of the Moscow conference. The actual date for the filling of" the treaties already dealt with has heen set for February 10. Check up of Troops The British delegate on the Political Committee says that he is again going to press for a world-wide check up of tro'ops and arms under international supervision. A compromise plan for international supervision, put forward by M. Spaak, has- been rejected. It is reported unofficially that. M. Vyshinsky, after consulting M. Molotov, has had to tell the committee that he could no longer support the proposal. Mr. Byrnes said he would attend the Assembly before it adjourns and make a statement on United States policy for disarmament. The proposal that United Nations ministers should. be recalled from Madrid is to be discussed in the Assembly tonight.