DIVISION OPPOSED

Evening Star, Issue 25782, 3 May 1946, Page 5

DIVISION OPPOSED

FUTURE GF GERMANY VIEWS OF THE DOMINIONS LONDON, May 2. , Germany’s futiire was discussed by the dominion' Ministers at the conference to-day. No decisions binding on any dominion were taken, each dominion remaining free to express its independent view at the Peace Conference. There was unanimity, said a'Government spokesman, on the principles for dealing with Germany. These are, first, measures to prevent a re-birth of militarism; secondly, to develop Germany economically as a part of Europe; thirdly, measures to encourage the growth of democratic institutions. The Ministers felt _ the problem should be approached in relation to the whole of Germany and not simply the Ruhr and the Rhineland, but they felt hampered by insufficient evidence about what was likely to happen in Eastern Germany and what is happening in the Russian zone. There is general opposition by the dominions to the French proposals for political separation of the Ruhr and the Rhineland from Germany. The dominion Ministers feared such a political break-up would tend to “ Balkanise ” Germany and create serious economic difficulties _ and new movements from wlpch Nazism might spring afresh. Alternatively, the Ministers took the view that, on general principles, the best approach to the problem lay. along the development of some public corporation controlling the Ruhr industries and developing them economically, according .to stipulations laid down by the .peace treaty, for the economic benefit of Europe as a whole, including Germany. The Ministers considered the alternatives of an international directorate for such a corporation or an administration responsible possibly to a new German Provincial Government for the Ruhr. The general feeling among. the dominions favoured a corporation established under German administrators, subject to ,a Provincial Government which would he supervised for the time being by Britain as a zone Power and later possibly by some international commission haying full powers to ensure that the industries were being used for the proper purpose. • _ Commenting on the dominion Ministers’ views on the _ development of Germany, the ‘ Daily Telegraph’s ’ diplomatic correspondent says their attitude cuts right across the recent fourPower agreement on German industry ; aiming at a reduction to about 50 or 55 per cent, of the 1938 level. Britain entered strong reservations in accepting this plau, which threatened to create a serious unemployment problem in the British zone. The Prime Minister, Mr C. R. Attlee, who was again in the chair to-day was in general agreement with the dominions’ views. FRANCE'S INTERESTS FULLY RECOGNISED BY BRITAIN LONDON, May 2. Britain fully recognises the interests of France in any question relating to the Ruhr and to the Rhineland, the Minister of State. Mr Philip NoelBaker, told the House of, Commons. He declared that Britain was fully seized of the importance of this question. He was answering a question whether the Government was taking all possible steps to delimit the boundaries of Germany, especially with regard to internationalisation of the IRuhr and the Rhineland, and whether Britain was co-operating with France. Mr Noel-Baker said it was agreed -'t the Berlin conference th'at the western frontier of Poland should be deter-

mined by the peace settlement and certain territories of East Prussia should be administered by Russia, also the former German territories east of tue Oder and Western Niesse would be under Polish administration. In. view of the present discussions in Paris, Mr •Noel-Ba'ker said he could make no statement regarding the other frontiers of Germany. Reuter’s Paris correspondent says it is authoritatively stated that the British Government handed the French Government a new plan for control of the Ruhr industries, offering possibilities of socialisation or internationalisation. The French are closely studying the proposals, but. anything falling short of permanent detachment of the Ruhr arsenal from Germany is unlikely to find much favour. ; RUSSIANS IN AUSTRIA M. MOLOTOV STILL EVASIVE (Rec. 8 a.m.) LONDON, May,2._ ‘ The Times ’ correspondent in Paris reports that Mr Byrnes, at the Foreign Ministers’ Conference yesterday, asked M. Molotov to agree there and then to a proposal that none of the four Powers should keep more than 15,000 troops in Austria from now until the final withdrawal. M. Molotov replied by saying the proposal might be 'taken up when Austria was discussed, but he .gave no sign of . changing his previous unwillingness to have Austria discussed during this session of the conference. ' The correspondent adds that at present Russia has 140,000 of the 200,000 Allied troops in Austria. I,