MOSCOW CONFERENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 8, 20 October 1943, Page 3

MOSCOW CONFERENCE.

ARRIVAL OF THE MINISTERS. LONDON, October 19. A guard of honour saluted Mr Eden and Mr Cordell Hull when they arrived at an airfield at Moscow, which was <Vcorated with the flags of Britain, America and' the Soviet. Mr Hull said: “I feel particularly satisfied that I am visiting the capital of a great country, united with mine in a common cause. I am pleased to be able to return the visit M. Molotov made to my country, and I anticipate with great pleasure the conference 1 with him and Mr Eden.” Mr Eden said: “I am very happy to come to Moscow again to take part in this conference. I am glad to be able to repay tlie visit of M. Molotov last year, and I am looking forward with pleasure to the conference with him and Mr Hull.” Special Military Mission. A special American military mission, headed by Major-General Dean, formerly of the General Staff, is being sent to Moscow, where the American military attache will be withdrawn and his office closed. This, says the Cairo correspondent of the “New York Times,” was learned from a reliable diplomatic source. The move is calculated to please Russia, because it has been an open secret that conflict existed between the American lend-lease mission in Moscow on the one hand and the military attache s office on the other.

It is pointed out that the lend-lease mission, considered its task was to facilitate shipments to Russia and ask no questions, while the military attache felt that this hampered his duties.

Washington has decided to eliminate the military attache’s office, and so alleviate Russian suspicions that the United States wants to find out too much in Russia.