COMMUNIQUE ON LONDON TALKS

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25516, 9 June 1948, Page 5

COMMUNIQUE ON LONDON TALKS

The six Powers yesterday issued a L >ominunique on their recent London The recommendations include spei ac provisions for close association etween the military governors and . I he Benelux representatives in Germany on matters affecting Benelux invests, with full opportunities for the ienelux representatives to be kept inirmed of developments in the Westm zones. The conference also recommended: (1) International control of the Ruhr r an authority composed of British, feited States, French, Netherlands, felgian, Luxembourg, and • German spresentatives. The German representatives should, for the present, be s ihosen and their votes exercised by be occupying Powers concerned; (2) The establishment of a constitient assembly for Western Germany. Ihe military governors of the three Western occupation zones should convene a meeting of Prime Ministers of ie German States within their zones, fho would be authorised to convene i constituent assembly for the whole * i Western Germany charged with the ask of preparing a constitution for i future Western German governoent; (3) The creation of a military senility board for the Western zones ■ airing the occupation period, and the nintenance. after the termination of ® occupation, of a system of inspects and control of industry to secure sarmament and demilitarisation BThe conference agreed that for the litical and economic well being of stem European countries, including Germany. there must be close asBciation of their economic life. Powers Over Ruhr It said that the recommendation to establish an international authority fer ttie control of the Ruhr would not Evolve the political separation of the Kuhr from Germany. It would, howtv®, contemplate control of the disWbution of the coal, coke, and steel £the Ruhr to prevent the area b> ®ning an instrument of aggression aa to make its contribution to all Bimtnes participating in the Euro&n co-operative economic protranime. including Germany. The conference reaffirmed the prince of non-discrimination against »agn interests in Germany. it considered that the German People should be given an opportunity achieve the eventual re-establish-J®} of German unity. They should e ...’ re e to establish for themselves outical organisations and institutions &ch would enable them to assume responsibilities comttible with the minimum requirements of the occupation, and ultimaterto establish a constitution with proRowing all German States as soon as circumstances Emitted. c ° nference agreed that the proposecl German constituent assembly

should enable Germans to plav their P art n m en ding the present division of Germany, not by the reconstruction of a centralised Reich, but by a , eral f ? rn ?. of government adequately protecting the rights of the respective States and guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of the individual . conference agreed io proposals for dealing with certain minor provisional territorial adjustments in Germany’s western frontiers. Period of Occupation The United States, the United Kingdom and the French ‘ delegations reiterated their views that there could not be any general withdrawal of their forces from Germany until Europe s peace was secured. The communique said that the present recommendations in no way precluded, and, on the contrary, should facilitate an eventual four-Power

agreement. They were designed to solve the urgent political and economic problems arising from the present situation in Germany.

The communique also said that the London agreement on the Ruhr constituted a statement of principles which should form the. basis for a more detailed agreement setting up an international authority. This authority shall take decisions by majority vote. Th® United States, Britain; France, and Germany shall have three votes each and the Benelux countries one vote each. The international authority, if the German Government does not carry out its decisions, may, by a majority vote, find that the German Government is in default. The international authority could then recommend to the occupation authorities enforcement measures.

The Berlin correspondent of the Associated Press says that Military Government quarters regard the application of the majority Vote as most significant. It means the abolition of the veto, which has hampered four-Power rule in Germany almost from the peginning.