Report Of “Crisis Conference”

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27564, 22 January 1955, Page 7

Report Of “Crisis Conference”

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, January 21. The British, United States and New Zealand governments were discussing calling a “crisis conference” with the Chinese Communist Prime Minister (Mr Chou En-lai, with the twofold purpose of easing the Formosa situation and preparing the ground for the admission of Communist China to the United Nations. Walter Farr wrote in the “Daily Mail” today. “The conference, it is suggested, would discuss a plan drawn up by Mr Eden, Mr Dulles and New Zealand diplomats,” Farr said. “The two main objectives of the conference would be the easing of the grave situation caused by the clashes between Communist and Nationalist Chinese in the islands near Formosa, and the preparation of’a formula looking to the eventual admission of Communist China to the United Nations.

British, United .States and New Zealand plan first began to take shape four months ago, but was shelved. ......

“It is understood that Mr Hammarskjold, Secretary-General of the United Nations, discussed the plan during his talks with Mr Chou on the 11 United States airmen held in China: ‘After studying the reports of these talks, Mr Eisenhower and Mr Dulles suggested that the Formosa problem could be solved by the United Nations,” wrote Farr. In London today the Foreign Office announced that Britain, New Zealand and the United States had been discussing a Formosa cease-fire plan for the United Nations, but shelved it. The Foreign Office spokesman said the plan was “one of a number of possible courses of action” discussed over recent months, but no decision to jarry it: °ut was taken. The official added that the course “remained a possibility for the future.”

N.Z. MINISTER’S COMMENT

(New Zealand Press Association) . WELLINGTON, January 21. NeW Zealand would, of course, welcome a cease fire in the area around the Chinese coastal islands, said the Minister of External Affairs, Mr Macdonald today. The Minister was commenting on a cablegram from London which said the Dominion, the United States, and Britain had shelved a proposal for sponsorship by the United Nations Security Council of a cease fire between the Chinese Nationalists and Communists. “As a member of the Security Council,” said Mr Macdonald, “New Zealand naturally has followed very closely developments in various trouble spots throughout the world which might eventually lead to some kind of action in the Security Council becoming necessary,” said Mr Macdonald.

“Suggestions for bringing the situation arising from the present fighting around the off-shore islands before the council have been among various possible courses of action which we have considered in informal discussions with the British and American governments. “No decision on this question has been taken, however, although this and other proposals remain under review.”

Coal Lost Through Strike.— About 1500 tons of coal have been lost through the “no-pants” strike at Coalcliffe (South Coast) colliery. In three days miners have lost £2OOO in wages—enough to • buy 10 pairs of shorts for each of the 100 men employed at the colliery. The management has told the men, some of whom favour working in “lap-laps,” that they must wear nothing briefer than shorts.—Sydney, January 21.