MR. BEVIN INDISPOSED

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 July 1946, Page 5

MR. BEVIN INDISPOSED

MR. ATTLEE TO REPRESENT BRITAIN THE “PARIS” CONFERENCE LONDON, July 27. It is officially announced that the Foreign Secretary (Mr. Bevin) is suffering from slight indisposition and is unable to go to Paris for the Peace Conference, which begins on Monday. Mr. Attlee will lead the British delegation to the conference. His doctors have ordered at least a week’s complete rest for Mr. Bevin. Reuter’s Paris correspondent says that the conference is officially entitled “Paris Conference, 1946.” The word “peace” does not appear in any official communication or on the official or press passes. The nearest approach to the suggestion of peace is a small white dove bearing a green olive branch, on a badge issued to those attending. ' The Press Association says that Mr. Bevin has not been feeling well lor the last few days, but it was not until yesterday that he absented himself from the Foreign Office. Mr. Herbert Morrison, Lord President ol the Council, will" act for Mr. Attlee during his absence in Paris. The Moscow radio has announced that the following are accompanying Mr Molotov to the'Paris Conference. Mr. Vyshinsky, Deputy-Foreign Minister; and Mr. Gusev, Mr. Bogamolov, and Mr. Nokikov, respectively Soviet Ambassadors to Britain, France and America. Others attending will be, Mr. Rotohskis, Mr. Valeskaln, and Mr. Kraus, Foreign Ministers respectively of the Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian Soviet Socialist Republics. The Czech Cabinet has issued a communique saying that Russia will support Czechoslovakia s claim against Hungarian minorities, and supporting Czech resistance to tei - ritorial changes favouring Hungary. In Washington, President Truman and a crowd of 5000 turned out to bid farewell to the Secretary of State (Mr. Byrnes) on his peace-making air journey to Paris. Mr. Byrnes, expressing appreciation, noted that the American attitude to the conference was entirely different from that aftei the First World War. “This time,” he said, “there is no division between the Executive and Congress, and no division between the great political parties.” He emphasised that the whole nation was of one mind and that there must never be a return to isolationism.

AMERICAN VIEWS ON AVOIDING WAR WASHINGTON, July 27. “It seems to me that the hope of avoiding some new and teri'ible wax greatly depends on how quickly we can remove the dangerous sources of friction left in the wake of the last war,” said the United States Secxetary of State (Mr. James Byrnes) in a statement broadcast after he left by air for Paris. . He instanced Trieste, and the rivalry between the Italians and the Jugoslavs as undermining the unity between the larger Powers. “Progress in peacemaking so far lias been the product of compromise. There is no use pretending that moie compromises will not be necessary if we are to go the rest of the way. I know that many believe it would be much better if the four principal Allies did not go to the conference with agreed texts, but peace treaties which fix boundaries and dispose ol colonies and territories cannot be made effective unless they command the assent of the principal Allied Ststes» “Twenty-seven years ago large and small States met at Versailles without any preliminary understanding between the large States, but the principal issues had to be fought out and decided by a council of the Big Four and in the end I doubt whether the small States were given as much oportunity to express their views as will be given them in Paris “Unfortunately in a world where national States jealously guard their sovereignty there is no ideal peacemaking procedure, but 1 am convinced that we are on the road back to P 6 Mr Byrnes added that it was important to begin to withdraw occupation troops wherever world sec }£ity permitted, it was important to settle explosive disputes over boundaries and territories, it wa ? 11 impo t r^P t +he fix the reparations bill so that the defeated enemy could begin toP 3 ? 1 off and see the end of the road, and it was important to provide moie food, houses and clothxng.__