ZONING OF VIENNA ALMOST COMPLETED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 146, 22 June 1945, Page 5

ZONING OF VIENNA ALMOST COMPLETED

RUSSIAN COmiALITY

Alexander Say Allies To Move In Soon Rec. 11.30 a.m. LONDON, June 21. Arrangements will soon be completed for Allied representatives to join the Russians in Vienna, announced Field-Marshal Alexander at a Press conference in Milan. "As soon as the zoning of Vienna Cityis completed," he said, "the' British, Americans and French are taking over their respective sectors. The reapportionment of Austria will follow, involving a Russian withdrawal to the east. They are most friendly to the Allied 'reconnaissance' mission, which is at present in Vienna, and is going to London. The Russians nave shown every desire to have the Allies in Vienna with them without delay." Field-Marshal Alexander said the Allied Military Governments were gradually withdrawing from Italy but would remain in disputed zones, such as Venezia Guilia, Trieste area, the Aosta Valley and the South Tyrol, until the peace settlement. He added that the Trieste Agreement was being carried out smoothly. After lunching with Allied and Italian generals, Field-Marshal Alexander beckoned into the Press conference the general, Cadorna, whose Italian Partisans played an active part in Northern Italy, and General Utili, commander of the Italian group in the Eighth Army. FieldMarshal Alexander said: "These regular Italian Army groups have done damned well."

The Supreme Commander added that there was no military reason why the Italian armistice terms could not be published, but there might be upheavals and Allied troops might be required to maintain order if the people thought the terms too hard. He believed that the Italians, by their contribution to the final stages of the war, had "worked their passage" to a better status than that of co-belligerency.