GERMAN STEEL OUTPUT

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25366, 13 December 1947, Page 7

GERMAN STEEL OUTPUT

Foreign Ministers’ Decision MAXIMUM FIXED (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, December 11. The Council of Foreign Ministers today fixed 11,500,000 ingot tons a year as the future top level of German steel production. Mr Bevin said that the Allied Control Council should devise a plan for German industry based on the agreed figure. Mr Molotov said he preferred the figure of 10,000.000 or 12,000,000 tons, but Mr Bidault objected, upon which Mr Molotov, saying: “The Soviet delegation is ready, as always, to grant concessions,” agreed to the British figure, which the council adopted. Mr Bidault emphasised that he accepted the British figure on condition that German coal exports were maintained. He also wanted a special regime in the Ruhr guaranteed by a fourPower treaty. The conference agreed that the Control Commission should issue, by April 15, the final list of plant and equipment to be removed rrom Germany. The Ministers were debating the question of what plant and equipment was to be removed from Germany when the council adjourned till tomorrow. The diplomatic correspondent of Reuters describes the meeting as the most successful of the present session.

JAPANESE PEACE CONFERENCE

POSSIBLE DILEMMA FOR ALLIES (Special Correspondent N.ZJP.A.)

(Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, December 12. Writing in the “News-Chronicle,” Mr Vernon Bartlett, M.P., says that unless the Foreign Ministers can dispel their mutual suspicions on the subject of Germany, Japan will provide them with a fresh dilemma. He continues: “At present, the Russians have proposed a Big Four conference to settle the Japanese peace treaty. This would not only enable the Soviet to use the veto, but would exclude countries such as Australia and New Zealand, at the instance of Russia, whose war against Japan lasted less than one week. “This is a proposal no British Government could approve. The situation is further complicated by China s weakness and Russia’s reluctance to agree to the American proposal that all the countries which fought against Japan, irrespective of their size, should participate in the peace conference. The Russians feel that unless they can use the veto they will be out-voted, and the Americans appear determined not to allow them to use it.”