PEACE TALKS ON JAPAN

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25246, 26 July 1947, Page 9

PEACE TALKS ON JAPAN

SOVIET REPLY TO U.S. INVITATION

POSSIBLE COMPROMISE ON ARRANGEMENTS (NJZ. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 9 p.m.) WASHINGTON, July 24. The United States State Department to-day acknowledged the receipt of a Russian Note rejecting the United States’ suggestion for an 11-nation conference on the Japanese peace treaty on August \ 19, and said that it was being carefully studied. The State Department continued in its determination to-day to proceed with the drafting of the Japanese peace terms through the agency of the several Pacific Powers, rather than through the Council < Foreign Ministers, as urged by Russia. Technically, the Soviet Note is viewed as containing counter-proposals, rather than being a definite final rejection of the American proposal Therefore, the hope is that Russia will yet decide to agree. Should it turn out, however, to be a final rejection, the plan still is to proceed with negotiations through the representatives of such member nations of the Far Eastern Commission as care to participate. High diplomatic sources told Reuters that the United States may agree to the Russian suggestion that the proposed peace treaty arrangements should be discussed further between the United States, British, and Soviet Ambassadors in Washington, but emphasised that the United States was most unlikely to abandon the view that the Far East settlements must be worked out on a broad basis, including the views of all those countries which took a significant part in the Pacific war. It is believed that the United States will resist any move to put the discussions permanently back on to a Big Four level, with the threat of veto implied by it. State Department officials emphasised that the original proposal was tentative, and it was always expected that other countries would have modifying suggestions. For example, Britain had suggested that the discussions should be raised to a Ministerial level, with possibly the Secretary of State (General Marshall), the Soviet Foreign Minister (Mr Molotov), and the British Foreign Secretary (Mr Bevin) beginning talks on basic policy before experts worked out the details. The Soviet rejection of the invitation came as no surprise. Nevertheless, the conference is likely to be held before September, because of the Canberra conference.