GERMAN REPARATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 26042, 5 March 1947, Page 7

GERMAN REPARATIONS

BIG TASK OF MOSCOW CONFERENCE

RUSSIA THE STUMBLING BLOCK

LONDON. March 4. Declaring that the real task of the Moscow Conference is to reach agreement on the provisional organisation and control of Germany pending the peace treaty, 1 The Times,’ in a leader, says that unless, as seems improbable, the advocates of an extreme federalism or even a 'confederation have their way, measures may be agreed upon for bringing some sort of central German administration into being and preparing by degrees for the establishment of a German Government.

But the essence of the discussion will be not so much how Germany is to be governed as how Germany is to live, ‘ The Times ’ adds. Once again economic unity and reparations will be in the forefront, and reparations may prove the crucial issue of the whole conference.

Any other zone, as Mr Bevin has said, can join in economic unity with the Combined Anglo-American area provided its occupying Power makes a fair contribution to the cost of running Germany as a whole, but economic unity in Germany is not to be bought at a cost of increased British liabilities.

It is hard to see, therefore, * The Times ’ concludes, how economic unity between the Russian, zone and Western Germany can be established unless Russia much abates her claim to reparations, especially reparations from current production.