Russia Still Trying To Wreck Paris Pact

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27626, 5 April 1955, Page 11

Russia Still Trying To Wreck Paris Pact

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, April 4. The feeling seemed to be growing in London that Russia, after all, might not be accepting the fact that she could not hope to prevent the rearmament of Western Germany and its membership of N.A.T.0., reports the diplomatic correspondent of the “Manchester Guardian.”

"After the approval of the Paris Agreements by the French Council of the Republic, Moscow presumably does realise she cannot now prevent ratification of these agreements;- but there have been recent signs, particularly in connexion with Moscow’s approaches to the Austrian Government for resumption of the talks on the'Austrian State Treaty which might indicate that Moscow still hppes to prevent those parts of the Paris Agreements which concern the Federal German Republic, from actually being put into effect.

“Russia has certainly been seeking to raise the hopes of the Austrian Government that further negotiations could result in the conclusion of the treaty and the withdrawal from Austria of all Occupation troops, and various Soviet statements on this question have spemed to imply that the only important matters which Moscow feels must be settled before this happy development can be brought about are the strengthening of the treaty clauses forbidding Anschluss between Austria and Germany, and the assurance ot Austria’s future neutralisation.

“The provisions in the draft treaty against Anschluss seem to be perfectly adequate, but the Western Powers would presumably raise no serious objections if the Russians can find stronger language to express what all the Four Powers arc already agreed on. “There is, however, a slightly sinister implication in the phrase used about thia point by Mr Molotov in his recent statement io the Austrian Government. He said that consideration should also be given to the measures to be taken should the threat of Anschluss nevertheless arise in the future. , “That could mean that Mr Molotov was seeking for Russia the right to send her troops back into Austria if at any time Moscow judged that the threat of Anschluss existed. “But Mr Molotov appears to want the Four Occupying Powers to undertake in the treaty the obligation to guarantee Austria’s neutralization. That would not be acceptable, it is understood, to the Western Powers. For one thing it would affiount to handing back full sovereign independence to Austria with one hand, and with the other gravely limiting one of the important rights of a sovereign power.' f