MINES IN CORFU CHANNEL

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25081, 13 January 1947, Page 7

MINES IN CORFU CHANNEL

British Complaint

To UNO

ALBANIA’S REPLY TO NOTES ♦ (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

<Hec. 7 p. m .) LONDON, January 11. The British Government has filed a complaint with the Security Council charging Albania with mining the Corfu Strait, where two British warships were damaged with the loss of 44 lives last October.

__ *1 is Britain’s first complaint to the United Nations.

Albania, in its reply to the British Notes about the mining of the Corfu Channel, gave Britain no option but to place the matter before the Security Council, says Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent, commenting on the release by the Foreign Office of Albania’s reply. The correspondent says the most contentious point in the reply will be Albania’s attempt to pass the blame for the mining of the channel to Greece.

The Foreign Office issued the text of the Notes incorporated in a letter in which Sir Alexander Cadogan yesterday placed Britain’s complaint against Albania before the Security Council under Article 39 of the United Nations Charter.

Albania attributed responsibility for mining the channel to “parties wishing to create ill-will between Britain and Albania.” The Albanian Note, immediately following this statement, said: “Greek ships and ships belonging to other countries have often traversed Albanian territorial waters without authorisation.”

The Albanian Note expressed profound regret for the accident to the British destroyers Volage and Saumarez on October 22, 1946. At the same time, Albania energetically rejected all the accusations contained in the British Note.

“The accusations do not conform either with the peaceful aspirations and purposes so often expressed by the Albanian people or with the Albanian Government’s policy in its relations with Great Britain and other peaceful peoples. The Albanian Government regrets that it must point out that the conduct of Britain towards Albania has not always been guided by the same peaceful objects.” The Albanian Note recalled that Britain had “opposed with the greatest firmness Albania’s entry into the United Nations, although Albania, who was the first victim of Italian Fascism, had a full right of entry in consideration of her support for the common Allied cause.” Britain had shown an extremely unfriendly attitude towards Albania and in the preparation of the peace treaties and jn its groundless refusal to establish diplomatic relations had shown ulterior motives. Britain had demonstrated its unfriendly attitude in its unilateral decisions to sweep mines in Albanian territorial w ters and in the demonstration by British warships on November 22, 1946, when they sailed past the coast of Albania in every direction, fully equipped and in war formation, firing machine-gun bursts in the air and into the water.

The Note said Albania supported the principle of the innocent * passage of ships through any highway of international communication, but British shins had flagrantly violated the principles of innocent passage by sailing demonstratively along the Albanian coast.

The British had contended that AL bania was not invited to join the Mediterranean Zone Mine Clearance Board because Albania had no means of sweeping mines. Albania had no means either of sweeping or laying mines. The British accusations, therefore, had profoundly wounded the Albanian people. Albania was aware of the decision of the Central Mine Clearance Board and the Mediterranean Board that the north Corfu Channel should be swept but Albania emphasised that the operation should have been effected with Albania’s consent and had proposed a mixed commission. The British, however, had sent in warships which acted alone and only as Britain wished. Albania, therefore, could not consider either the demand for reparations or the demand for an apology.

POWER SUPPLY IN BRITAIN

STATE CONTROL OF ELECTRICITY

DETAILS OF BILL

(Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, January 10. The political correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency says that compensation payable to private undertakings under the Electricity Bill, which nationalises all electrical supply undertakings in Britain, is likely to amount to £350,000,000. The taking over of municipal undertakings will cost the State only the amount necessary to pay off their liabilities. A total of 570 private, municipal, and other electrical undertakings will be taken over. Of these, 190 are private companies. A senior representative of the Ministry of Fuel said that the substitution of a central electricity authority for 570 municipal bodies or private companies is expected to facilitate the full development of the country’s productive potential of electricity, and enable a more equitable distribution to all parts.

Fourteen area boards are responsible for distribution, and they will standardise the voltage, which at present varies from area to area. This will aid the standardisation of fittings and the rates of charging for electricity. The bill is expected, overall, to privide cheaper electricity, but it may mean a rise in charges for some areas at present served efficiently at low rates. It should mean a substantial reduction for those not so efficiently served. The Ministry representative emphasised that the new authority would inherit the problem of replacing obsolete and inadequate plant, which has arisen largely as a result of six years of war.

This inadequacy of plant was responsible for periodic cuts in electricity because of swollen winter consumption exceeding’the capacity of the plant. The central authority would endeavour to expedite the delivery of the new plant, which would be standardised. The authority would be empowered to manufacture plant itself if required. Reuters says that quotations on the Stock Exchange, when conditions settled down, were generally below the overnight closing levels after publication of the details of the Electricity Nationalisation Bill.

Under the terms of the bill the Government will set up a central authority and area boards. Their policy will be the cheapening of electricity supplies and the standardising of supply systems and types of electrical fittings. The central authority will maintain and develop an efficient, co-ordinated economical supply system for the whole of Great Britain except the north of Scotland, which comes under the Hydro-Electric Development Act. The central authority will also generate electricity for bulk supply to area boards.

Reuter’s political correspondent states that this is the Government’s last nationalised measure . for this session. The Opposition will strongly contest it when the second reading is moved in a few weeks’ time.