CABLE BREVITIES American Answer To Jugoslav Charge

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 August 1947, Page 10

CABLE BREVITIES American Answer To Jugoslav Charge

The charges made by Marshal BrozTito in an interview on August 7, that the United States was trying to' impose “some sort of economic blockade” on Jugoslavia and was not helping in Jugoslavia’s rehabilitation, were answered by the State Department today. It said that the American contribution in relief and lendlease aid to Jugoslavia exceeded 320,000,000 dollars. The statement added that Jugoslavia had declined to join the western European nations in the Marshall plan for Europe’s economic recovery and said that, theif? were not, as Marshal Broz-1 ito had claimed, any restrictions on the Jugoslav, purchase of machinery in the • United States that did not also apply to al! other countries. —Washington, August 13.

South Africa’s Population The census taken last year shows that South Africa’s P°P ula * l ° n 11,291,949, consisting of 2,07.2,b JU Europeans, 285,260 Asiatics, 928,484 coloured people, and 7,805,515 natives.—Cape Town, August 13.

N.Z. Gift of Beef A gift of 800 quarters of beef made by Mr T. A. Duncan, of Hunterville, to the British people arrived in London recently. The Ministry of Food says that the Minister (Mr John Strachey) has written to Mr Duncan thanking him for his generosity and the Gear Meat Company for processing the meat without ■ charge. The Ministry also stated that this beef will be taken into the general meat supply and regarded as part of supplies for distribution in the ordinary way. London, August 13.

Guerrillas’ Aims in Greece Mr Philipe Dragoumis, a forme: Minister of War, said after a tour of northern Greece that the guerrillas dominated the mountains north and west of Florina and Kastoria. They were trying to isolate Florina to establish a Communist Government. Il the guerrillas succeeded, the Communists would control about 100 square miles, with the northern section attached to the Jugoslav bolder. The Ministry of Public Order announces Ihai a steel railway bridge on tiie railway line between Klithi and Florina was blown up yesterday. —Athens, August 13.

Sterling Agreement with India Britain has agreed to release £35,000,000 of India's sterling balances, plus £30,000,000 lor a working balance, says Reuters. The British Treasury has issued the text of an agreement providing that the Indian Reserve Bank’s £1,100,000,000 assets will be transferred to a “No. 2 account” at the Bank of England. India can draw on her sterling balance to pay for the voluntary repatriation of Britigh-owned assets. India will not restrict the remittance of savings owned by Britons returning from Indig. The agreement covers the period of July 15 to December 31, 1947, and embraces the whole of India, including India and Pakistan. —London, August 14.

Philippines and Japan The Filipino people as well as other peoples of Asia were clamouring for a speedy conclusion of the peace treaty with Japan, said the President of the Philippines (Mr Roxas) in a V-J Day anniversary speech. “They cannot understand why it should be further delayed,” he said. “A speedy conclusion of the peace treaty is essential to the restoration of mutually beneficial economic relations and will prove a stabilising influence in this part of the world. We do not desire a vindictive peace. We want a Christian peace that will provide for the military disarmament of Japan and ensure for the Japanese people equal opportunity and freedom to work out their own salvation under a democratic regime. The Philippine Government will cooperate actively to this end.”—Manila, August 14.

Pakistan’s Status The new Moslem State of Pakistan told the United Nations today that it considered itself automatically a member of the United Nations, but that if that were held not to be the pase it would apply for membership. The United Nations legal department has expressed the opinion that the Dominion of India would retain Charter membership, but t’hat Pakistan’s membership would not be legal. Officers said today that if Pakistan hastened its application, it might be accepted by the Security Council in time for ratification by the General Assembly in September. They foresaw no objections to the application, but said Pakistan was free to challenge their opinion both in the Security Council and in the Assembly.—New York, August 13.

Film Industry in Australia The Australian film industry was much more likely to' be stimulated than checked by the United Kingdom’s imposition of a 300 per cent, tax on films imported to Britain, said the English film director, Mr Harry Wale. He said that Hollywood’s decision to withhold its films from the United Kingdom meant that the British would draw their film supply from their own studios and from producers in the Dominions. Australia was the most advanced of all the Deminions in film-making, and the need of British cinemas for film supplies would be a great spur to the growing industry in Australia. English studios were already overcrowded. There were enough unreleased American films on hand in Britain, enough foreign films, and enough good old films that were worth, a revival, to keep all British cinemas fully occupied for at least 18 months, he added.—Sydney, Aug. 14.

Talks on Ruhr Coal The British and American delegates examining means of increasing the Ruhr’s coal production concentrated their attention today on transport problems. A British spokesman emphasised that coal was piling up at the pits because, the means of transporting it to points where it was needed were inadequate. Both sides appeared to have agreed that an overhaul of the Ruhr railway systems to speed the transport of coal was one of the most important problems. It was also accepted that transport difficulties constituted- a strong argument against French claims that more Ruhr coal should be shipped to France for steel processing there rather than in Germany. The delegates are well satisfied with the progress of the talks to date, but they apparently are carefully avoiding discussion of the two most controversial points, namely, finance and management.—Washington, Atig. 13.