FOUR-POWER TALKS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28819, 13 February 1959, Page 9

FOUR-POWER TALKS

I, * Permanent Body I Proposed

NEW YORK, February 12. The Western Allies were con* sidering proposing the establishment of a Big Four committee that would remain in permanent session on the German question, the “New York Times’’ reported from Berlin today.' The report said that the West German Chancellor, Dr. Konrad Adenauer, had thrown his influence behind the idea. He raised the question with the United States Secretary of State (Mr Dulles) last week-end.

The idea was reported to be gaining support from an increasing number of high-ranking officials, the newspaper said. It was not yet known what Mr Dulles’s reaction was. West Germany felt that it should be formally proposed if the expected Big Four Foreign Ministers’ conference, to be held soon, disclosed a serious Soviet intention to agree on Germany's future. The committee would be composed of high-level representatives ot the four Powers that occupied Germany after World War II and were responsible tor a peace treaty—the United States, Britain. F rance - and the Soviet Union The Western Powers Would be agreeable to East and West representation in rthe work at the committee. The newspaper added that Dr. Aderiafler has said privately that he would not object to an equal status for the East Germans with West Germany ip any such work. The Chancellor has hitherto been, reluctant to enhance East Germany's international position. The newspaper added that the reasoning which had brought about “a permanent committee” idea was that the German problem was beyond solution by Foreign Ministers* meetings or even summit talks. . ' It was too complex to be

handled at any one session and the cold war tended to freeze any advances if too much time was left between negotiations.

Algerian Divorce Law,—A decree signed by President de Gaulle last night ends the right of a Moslem husband a Algeria to end his marriage simply by declaring three times before witnesses: "I divorce thee.” In future a marriage can only be dissolved by a judicial decision. Child marriages are also banned under the decree.—Algiers, February 11.