AMERICA SUGGESTS CONFERENCE ON JAP. PEACE TREATY

Evening Star, Issue 26155, 17 July 1947, Page 7

AMERICA SUGGESTS CONFERENCE ON JAP. PEACE TREATY

(Rec 9 a.m.) NEW YORK, July 16. 1 The United States has proposed that 11 nations of the Far Eastern Com--mission should meet in San Francisco or Washington on August 19 for a special preliminary “ peace conference ” on Japan, reports the United Press correspondent at Washington. The proposal has been submitted to the Foreign Ministers, including M. Molotov, and an answer is now awaited from Moscow before the first steps are taken to hasten the conclusion of the Japanese Peace Treaty. The American proposal calls for a preliminary conference of experts rather tiian a conference of plenipotentiaries. San. Francisco is suggested as. the first choice for the conference, with Washington as a substitute if there is opposition to the West Coast city as the site. The conference would be attended by those nations which constitute the Far Eastern Commission,., but they would not attend os F.E.O. representatives. ' The correspondent adds that Mr Marshall would leave negotiations to his subordinates in the preliminary stages. The timing of the proposed conference would make it impossible for him to attend, since he then will be at the Inter-American Conference at Rio de Jaueiro. The timing‘would also cdnllict with the projected British Empire conference on Japan at Canberra on August 22. American officials have been concerned about Australia’s efforts to establish a united British Commonwealth front in the Japanese Peace Treaty negotiations. It is feared that the five British Commonwealth nations rhight constitute themselves into a bloc with ’ a joint policy that could veto under the two-thirds rule any project proposed. The ‘ Washington Post ’ states that the invitations to the proposed San Francisco conference were issued after consulting Russia but without apparently waiting for Soviet approval. The U.S. Ambassador, General Bedell Smith, discussed the subject with M. Molotov shortly after his return to Moscow from, a visit to Washington. M. Molotov objected, arguing that the Council of Foreign Ministers, could handle the Japanese treaty making without the participation of the smaller Powers. The ambassador replied that other countries had taken an important part in the Pacific war, and that the Council of Foreign Ministers , had not been created to deal with the Far-Eastern treaty. BRITISH OCCUPATION FORCES IN JAPAN TO BE REDUCED . ' TOKIO, July 16. The strength of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan will be gradually reduced during the next three months, according to an official announcement by 8.C.0.F. headquarters at Kure to-day. The whole Indian division will be withdrawn and a reduction will be made in the strength of the New Zealand Army component. The New Zealand Air Force squadron will not be affected. The withdrawal of the Indians, according to the announcement, is “ necessary in view of the' Constitutional changes and consequent reorganisation of the Indian armed forces.” The reduction of the 8.C.0.F. will be carried out between July ami September,. with the approval of the United States and British Commonwealth Governments concerned. It will imply no alteration -in the areas occupied or the.responsibilities alloted to the 8.C.0.F.