REPARATIONS BY GERMANY

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25607, 23 September 1948, Page 5

REPARATIONS BY GERMANY

Curtailment May Be Ordered

U.S. REPLIES TO' 1 BRITAIN

(Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 It is learned authoritatively that the Secretary of State (General Marshall) has informed Britain that the proposal by Mr Paul Hoffman, the Economic Co-operation Administrator, for curtailment of the dismantling of German industrial plants will probably have to go ahead. General Marshall, replying to a letter from the British Foreign Secretary (Mr Bevin) objecting to Mr Hoffman’s proposal, pointed out that Congress had empowered the Economic Co-operation Administrator to request a curtailment in the dismantling of German plants as reparations should he consider it would benefit European recovery as a whole. General Marshall explained to Mr Bevin that the fulfilment of Mr Hoffman’s obligations to Congress under the Economic Co-operation Act was necessary to assure Congressional cooperation in appropriating further funds for European recovery. It is expected in Washington that Britain will be obliged to agree to the curtailment proposal. In Paris yesterday, a French Foreign Office spokesman said that the French lone of Germany would be economically joined to the British and American combined zone next month. This was a logical sequel to the decision taken at the six-Power talks on Western Germany in London earlier this year.