TRIESTE TERRITORY PROPOSALS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24987, 23 September 1946, Page 5

TRIESTE TERRITORY PROPOSALS

In the sub-committee on Trieste, after a three hours’ debate on whether Trieste’s Governor should have the right to veto laws passed by the Assembly of the Free Territory, Jugoslavia' put forward a “last compromise” —that the Governor should have the right to veto only laws which he considered affected the territory’s integrity and independence. As the vote wes about to be taken at the meeting of the Italian Political Commission on the proposals for the future Italian-Jugoslav and Trieste Free Territory frontiers. Dr. Kopecky (Czechoslovakia) sprang a surprise by proposing a new sub-committee, excluding the Big Four, to reconsider the question. He suggested that the subcommittee should consist of Canada, China. Ethiopia, White Russia, and Jugoslavia. Dr. Kopecky added that he felt the sub-committee, including Jugoslavia, should be created to advise on the draft for the frontier and achieve unanimity. The commission rejected the Czech proposal by 10 votes to seven. Jugoslavia’s amendment seeking modifications of the French line was voted in four parts, and in each base defeated by 13 votes to five. The Jugoslav amendment had proposed that the Kanal Valley and Gorizia should be incorporated in Jugoslavia, and that the coastal corridor in Italian territory, leading from Trieste to the Italian port of Monfalcone. should be given to Jugoslavia. The commission, by the same majority, 13 votes to five, rejected a Jugoslav amendment seeking to reduce

the frontiers of the Free Territory of Trieste to the immediate precincts of the city. A White Russian amendment, giving Gorizia to Jugoslavia, was defeated frv 13 votes to 5. South Africa’s amendment nroposing the internationalisation of Western Istria was defeated by 12 votes to six. Mr Kardelj (Jugoslavia), after the results of the Voting were announced, rose to a point of order and declared emphatically that Jugoslavia did not consider herself bound by the decisions. Jugoslavia moved an amendment to Article V, under which boundary commissions composed of Jugoslavs and Italians and French and Italians are to determine on the spot the exact lines of the Italian-Jugoslav and ItalianFrench frontiers. Jugoslavia proposed that the commissions be allowed to depart by half a kilometre from the line laid down by the treaty, and thus take into account local geographical and economic conditions. The commission adopted the amendment, with a minor ; change, making it also operative for ; the line between Italy and the Free Territory. The commission rejected by 15 yotea : to four, with New Zealand abstaining, i Australia's amendment, common to all ; treaties, providing for a special body to settle disputes arising from interpretation of a treaty. The commission i adopted the article. With a view to speeding up the work, the commission agreed to additional meetings and voluntary restric- ■ tion of speeches.