SOVIET POLICY

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 August 1946, Page 7

SOVIET POLICY

PEACE SETTLEMENTS

MOLOTOV’S ADDRESS TO CONFERENCE

FORMER ENEMY COUNTRIES

(Rec. 1 p.m.) PARIS, July 31. The first. plenary meeting of the Great Powers had rightly decided to destroy all traces of Nazism -in order to prevent further war, declared Mr Molotov, addressing a plenary session of the Paris conference this afternon. He added: “It must be clear to us that the attacking countries which went to war as Germany's allies should be held responsible for the crimes of their ruling circles.” Mr Molotov said the Soviet Union was one of those countries steadfastly fighting for the establishment of a durable peace and the security of nations, and that • determined the Soviet’s attitude in questions relating to the peace treaties with Germany’s former satellites. “The Soviet Union,” he said, “is conscious of the fact that as a result of democratic reforms, countries which were allied to Hitlerite Germany took in the last stages of the war a new path and, in certain cases, rendered the Allies considerable assistance. It is precisely for this reason that the Soviet Union acknowledges that these States should be compensated for the damage caused to them—not in full, but in part, in a definite restricted measure.

“The Soviet Union, on the other hand, is opposed to all attempts to impose on Germany’s former satellites all sorts of outside interference in their economic life. The Soviet Union declines such demands on these countries and such pressure on those people as is incompatible with their state, sovereignty and national dignity. It is on this basis that the peace treaties with these countries should be drawn up.”

MR. ATTLEE’S SHORT VISIT TO LONDON (Rec. 12.25 p.m.) LONDON, July 31. It is reported that the Prime Minister, Mr. Attlee, is returning to London to-morrow to attend a Cabinet meeting and is flying back to Paris in the afternoon in time for the afternoon meeting of the conference.