TERMS OF ATLANTIC PACT TO BE PUBLISHED TODAY.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14930, 18 March 1949, Page 3

TERMS OF ATLANTIC PACT TO BE PUBLISHED TODAY.

Will Hoi Contravene Existing Alliances Of Signatories

COMMUNISTS’ LAST MINUTE ATTEMPTS TO BLOCK AGREEMENT

London, March 17. Mr Herbert Morrision has told the House of Commons that Mr Bevin will make a statement to the House tomorrow on the North Atlantic Pact. The terms of the pact will be published at the same time. It is announced in Washington that Mr Dean Acheson, the Secretary of State, will broadcast tomorrow night, appealing to Americans for their support.

The Danish Foreign Minister, Mr Rasmussen, reached Copenhagen today from Washington, where he said he had been getting the information he wanted about the pact. In Brussels today M. Spaak read the text of the pact to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Belgian Parliament. The meeting was private, but a member afterwards told correspondents some of the points M. Spaak had made. It would be valid for 20 years and will be subject to revision after 10 years. It will not contravene the existing Anglo-Soviet and FrancoSoviet Alliances.

The Western Occupation Zones of Germany and Austria are included in the geographical area in which mutual assistance will be extended.

The three-day debate on the pact in the Italian Parliament had gone beyond its limit because of delaying tactics by the Communists Deputies. The final debate has been in continuous session for about 28 hours, and has been punctuated by uproar and fighting in the chamber. The Communists and their supporters are now making individual declarations on the vote of confidence the Government has demanded. About half of their number has spoken so far, and the debate is likely to be drawn on through the night. Correspondents say that by these tactics Communists hope to delay the vote until the publication of theierms of the pact are made tomorrow. The Communists are said to be organising strkes against the pact in many Italian cities. Men are reported to be

out in Genoa, Milan and Rome, In France the Communists have resumed their campaign against the pact without waiting for the publication of its terms. A Paris correspondent says that the political bureau of the Communist Party has issued a statement attacking the Government for deciding to sign the pact, and thus present Parliament with a motion —an accomplished fact.