REGIONAL PLAN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 118, 21 May 1945, Page 5

REGIONAL PLAN

RUSSIAN PROPOSAL Principle Of Self-Defence Approved N.Z. Press Association —Copyright Rec. 10. SAN FRANCISCO, May 20. The New York Herald Tribune's correspondent says that the United States delegation had decided, mainly on the insistence of Mr. Stettinius and Senator Vandenburg, to place the inter-American compromise proposal regarding regional arrangements before the conference to-mor-row morning, even though Moscow had not by then approved the formula. A later message states that Russia has submitted to the Big Five Foreign Ministers the long-waited draft proposal accepting in principle the American compromise formula for incorporating regional security arrangements in the new world organisation.

The Russian proposals differ from the American amendment in language, but recognise the principle that individual countries or group of nations have the inherent right to act immediately in self-defence if the. Security Council fails to preserve peace. The Soviet draft is reported to follow closely in phraseology the amendment previously submitted by France. Big Five Meeting To-morrow M. Gromyko is reported to have received the proposals, from Moscow to-day and immediately to have called a meeting of the Big Five, who are again meeting to-morrow evening. The American delegation is discussing the Russian draft at noon to-morrow.

The Russian proposals involve the change of only a few words, but they raise one or two questions of legal interpretation which the United States delegation wishes to study before committing itself, says the New York Times correspondent. It is understood that the Russian draft is couched in extremely vague language, and leaves some doubt whether a regional agency such as the Pan-American system would be free to combine against an aggressor.

Even if the Security Council failed to take action, official sources said the Russian formula recognised the principle of self-defence, but had a change in phraseology which would require closer collaboration by any regional group with the Security Council to keep the council informed of group activities.

The Russian and American delegations are most optimistic about reaching an agreement.