CUSTOMS CONTROL OF THE SAAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5289, 30 December 1946, Page 5

CUSTOMS CONTROL OF THE SAAR

(Press Assn.-

BOSOH PLANT TAKEN DIPLOMATIC ACTIVITY POLLOWS FRENCH MOVE

— Rsc. 0.80 p.m.)

LONDON, Dec. 28. The French Premier, M. Leon Blum, conferred with General Koenig, commander of the French occupation zone, and Mr. Jefferson Caffery, American Ambassador to France. It. is I understood the talks coiicerned France's recent action in setting up a customs control of the Saar, says the Exchange Telegraph's Paris correspondent, It is also learned on good authority that M. Blum will fly to Washin£'ton soon to discuss the question with the Stvretary 0f State, Mr. Byrnes. M. Blum is also expe"ted to visit London for diseussions with Mr. Attlee and Mr. Bevin. Keuter s Paris correspondent says that a Premier's office oificial, referring to the re.port that M. Blum was expeeted to visit London to discuss I tho Saar, declared: "So far as we know, Blum has envisaged no such pia n. ' Qfficials were silert about the conversation between M. Blum and the British Ambassador, Mr. DuffCooper. The British Foreign * Office is avaiting details of the French moves j in the Saar and is not at present malsing any comment, says Reuter's diplomatic correspondent. The French at the New York meeting of the Foreign Ministers' Council agreed that the general settlement of France's eastern f'rontier mrst await diseussions on the German treaty, but said they might have to take certain preliininary measures. The British Government noted the French attitudc and neither accepted nor objected, but stated that it would later ask for dari'fication. A French Foreign Office spokesman confirmed that the Bosch electrical plant had been transferred from French-occupied Germany to the Saar, says Reuter's Paris corresponlent. The spokesman added that Ihe IJennan owners for technical reasons irul asked for the transfer of the ilant from Wurtlemberg" to the Saar. Ile admitted that the Bosch factory ras not one of those which could lave been attributed to France under hc reparations procedure, but added: 'Since the American decision to sus iend execution of the reparations protranune, no alloeations of any kiwi avo been made on tbis account." Authoritative politieal quartevs itate that "the action was evidently k- iirst move oward economic incorpration of the Saar into France. The move was not sanctioned by jthe Allies durirg Ihe talks in the al'nited States, and inust be regarded as a unilateral attempt to jprejudice the final peace settlement. J The correspondent adds that eon;ersations which have taken place "let'.veen London and Berlin lend little jfiilour to reports ii. London indicating . ^hat the Foreign Office has "full comjreliension" of the French step.