BEVIN’S PLAIN TALK AT MOSCOW CONFERENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 March 1947, Page 8

BEVIN’S PLAIN TALK AT MOSCOW CONFERENCE

LONDON,..Marbh .141.. .. At .the Foreign .Ministers’-yC??*-" fererice Mr-. BevihL ,told ■ .M-r-.Moiotoy that -he had-, not come-tee Mpscovz- to places., thb British,.•.Govefnment.,.iiL ;? d costly -position such as-had resulted from Pbtsddm. --.Mr -Bevin. .ufophed that snap decisions on-political-? and econdmie.matter 5,.. reached... at. Potsdam without proper, ,- ca-ordihatibn, had. resulted in contradiction and confusion.. ... , ... -Mr Bevin reihinded the Foreign Ministers’ conference of the demands he made in New York, that before German reparations, were, discussed in Moscow full figures should be available of what had been removed from, all zqnps. .. ~ , .. Reducing German. Population;,, . M. Bidault-proposed to. the ence.-that the. Allies undertake.. ah organised,reduction, of the-pOpulatioh of Germany , through emigration., He said: “In spite of years of dislike by France of German immigrants, France is ready to .welcome, some of Germany’s excess .population.”. ........ General Marshall, who was .presiding, said that M. Bidault by his suggestion had struck at the heart, of the German problems . . M. Bidault said France considered that Germany’s denseness of population, compared with that of neighbouring States, was a war potential. He proposed (1) to permit no new transfers of German minorities from other countries into Germany; (2) to halt such transfers now in progress; (3) to forbid the permanent settlement of displaced persons in Germany, and to expedite their resettlement in other countries. Mr Eevin said Britain would not consent to the forcible repatriation of displaced persons at present in Germany.' He referred to the position of expatriated Jugoslavs, Lithuanians, and Poles. Numbers of. German. Prisoners All three Western Powers gave to the Foreign Ministers’ Council their figures of German . war. prisoners held, thus forcing Mr Molotov to fulfil his. promise to produce the Soviet figures, which he said would be ready later tonight, says the Associated Press correspondent in. Moscow. Mr Bevin said the British had 435,295 war prisoners outside Germany, who were being repatriated at the rate of 17,000 a month. The rate would be increased to 22,000 a month on July 1. M. Bidault reported that the French had a total- of 641,483 war prisoners, including 593,267 in France, 19,601 in Africa, and 18,606 in the French zone of. Germany. General Marshall said the United States had 103 German war prisoners, sick or imprisoned, in America; 1175 in France; and 13,825 in Italy. They also had 8000 Germans in labour units in the American zone of Germany,, but they were to be swiftly dispersed. ' The Tass (Russian) News Agency has announced .that there are 890,532 German prisoners of.war held in the Soviet Union. It .adds that since Germany’s surrender,. 100,394 German prisoners of., war have been Creed and returned to Germany, Deputies Reach Deadlock

The. Foreign Ministers’ deputies met again in Moscow and. continued discussions for the formation of a consultative body for the German peace treaty with representatives drawn from the States which participated in the war. against Germany. Britain and America continued to object to Albania’s inclusion in this body.

Reuter’s correspondent in Moscow says: “The meetings of the deputies ou Germany and on Austria both ended in absolute deadlock, and two more problems were handed back to the Foreign Ministers..” Seeking A.dvice on China

“The British Foreign Secretary (Mr Bevin) is seeking advice from London on how to reply to a letter from Mr Molotov suggesting the early opening of an informal conference on the way in which Britain, America,* and Russia have fulfilled their agreement of December, 1945, to respect China’s integrity and not to interfere in Chinese internal affairs,” says the Moscow < orrespondent of The Times.

’ ‘Tn view of Mr Bevin’s promise to the Domionions not to join in any Far Eastern discussions in Moscow,, .his I answer must depend on the exact | scope of the proposed talks. If the three Powers simply present reports on how they have fulfilled the 1945 agreement in respect for Chinese integrity and non-interference in Chinese internal affairs, Mr Bevin will probably agree; but if it is ,to be- ; ’come an exchange of views or. proposals on the Chinese Internal situation, leading to fresh decisions, he would find it very, difficult”