PEACE SIGNED

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 February 1947, Page 8

PEACE SIGNED

SATELLITES OF GERMANY IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY IN , PARIS GREEK-JUGOSLAV OBJECTION (Rec, 10.50 a.im.) PARIS,. Feb. 10, in the glare of giant lamps set up by news cameramen, M. Bidault opened the ceremony of signing the peace treaties with Italy, Rumania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Finland at the Quai d’O.rsay this morning. Before dawn several hundred police were deployed through halls and grounds and elegantly-uniform-ed guards arrived half an hour before the ceremony. M. Bidault, sitting in the centre of a 45-foot table, with the 21 Allied delegates oh either side, welcomed the delegates, saying that France appreciated the honour that for the second time within 30 years peace treaties were signed on French soil. “The. date, February 10, 1947, will mean the end of Six years of terrible war and merciless suffering. It is up to the Governments to found, a new world in the service of justice and liberty—a world liberated from war.” The Italian delegate, Machese Upe di Saragna, preceded by two ushers, was shown to a place opposite M. Bidault, who said; “I bid you welcome. I hope you will take a solemn engagement to respect loyally this'treaty and that you will be willing to collaborate with the common effort for the peace of the world.”

M. Bidault then called on Russia to sign the treaty. The Italian representative, as the delegates filed into the adjoining room to ' sign, . sat expressionless, looking straight ahead. The Jugoslav Foreign Minister (Mr. Simic) signed without making a stalement.

The Allies signed in the following order: —Russia, Britain, the United States, China, France, Australia, Belgium, Byelo-Russia, Brazil, and Canada. The Italian delegation followed immediately afterwards. The whole, ceremony took 20 minutes.

Mr. Simic, after the ceremony, declared that Jugoslavia signed only because she did not want it thought that she refused to bear her share of the responsibility in re-establish-ing peace. The treaty had not satisfied the Jugoslav demands on territory which was ethnically would continue to insist that Trieste, the north-western section of Istria, the Canale river valley, Gorizia, Monfalcone, and Venetian Slovenia should be awarded to her, even if Jugoslav nationals left those, areas. The Greek Embassy delivered a Note to the French Foreign Office detailing the Greek objections to the Italian and other treaties in which Greece? ffilled to obtain her full de* mands. , . . . The delegates met again in tne afternoon and signed the Rumanian, Hungarian, and Bulgarian treaties. Poland has not signed the treaties because the Orient express bringing her delegation was delayed. ITALIANS MOURN TREATY SIGNING (Roc. 11.30 a.m.) ROME, Feb. 10. Sirens throughout Italy, summoned Italians to 10 minutes’ silence as a sign of mourning for the signing 01 the peace treaty. Fighting began m the Pi aza Venezia when a crowd estimated at 25,000 gathered to protest against the signing. Students and Left Wing sympathisers were involved and sticks and clubs "were Demonstrators broke into the Tugoslav military mission and raiset the Italian flag from one of the balconies. Some demonstrators seized a laurel wreath bearing the United States flag from the tomb of an tmknown warrior and ripped the wreath and flag to pieces. T T n f n ] I Students marched to the Hotel Milano, where R.A.F. headquarteiS are established, and booed, cat-called and threw stones at the windows. Police were rushed to lire Piaz/.. Venezia to quieten the crowds.