RUSSIA AGREES TO CONFER ON MARSHALL PLAN

Evening Star, Issue 26135, 24 June 1947, Page 5

RUSSIA AGREES TO CONFER ON MARSHALL PLAN

LONDON. -lune 23. The Soviet Government has agreed to confer with the British and French Foreign Ministers on the Marshall plan at the suggested meeting at Paris on June 27. The Soviet Government -lias agreed to confer with the British and French Foreign Ministers on the Marshall plan at the suggested meeting at Paris on June 27. Moscow radio said t ( hat Russia had sent identical Notes to Britain and France which said: “The Soviet Government agrees that the European countries’ primary task is the speediest possible rehabilitation and further development of their national economies which were disrupted by the war. It is self-evident that the task could be facilitated if assistance conforming to these aims were rendered by the United States, whose production potentialities increased rather than declined during the war. “ Although the Soviet Government so far possesses no information concerning the nature and terms of possible economic assistance to European countries from the United States or concerning the measures which the British and French Governments discussed during the negotiations at Paris, the Soviet Government nevertheless agrees to participate in a conference of the three Foreign Ministers.”

The Associated Press pointed out that Russia’s acceptance of the AngloFrenclP invitation to confer on the Marshall plan came on the day which had been set as the dead line, and added that the Russians did not actually name their representative, but as they specified that the conference should be among “ the Foreign Ministers,” it is assumed that M. Molotov would be the Soviet spokesman. EARLY DECISION EXPECTED ON ECONOMIC COMMISSION'S PART (Rec. 8 a.m.) LONDON, June 23. Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent says that an early decision is to be made at the Big Three meeting on the Marshall plan and will be concerned with the part which the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe may be expected to play. Russia is a member of the commission in which voting is by simple majority with no big Power right of veto.