Europe’s Fate Depends On Paris Conference Work, Bevin Declares

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 March 1948, Page 5

Europe’s Fate Depends On Paris Conference Work, Bevin Declares

(Reed. 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, March 16. The European Recovery Conference in Paris ended after directing its experts to draw up the statutes of a permanent international organisation and articles of a treaty to bind it. The conference voted unanimously for representatives of the Anglo-American and French zonel of Germany to be independent members of the committee for reconstruction. The occupation authorities, with the assistance of competent officials presumably German, will represent the zones. The British Foreign Secretary, Mr Bevin, in his closing speech, said the fate of Europe and the world would be decided by the intensity of their work in the next few months.

“The war against poverty and want will be won,” he added. “We go into immediate action as soon as the European reconstruction programme is decided.”

The Associated Press correspondent says that experts will continue their work in closed meetings and only periodically release their decisions. A report on the progress so far will be submitted to the United States Government for consideration in connection jyith the Marshall aid programme.

Position of Spain.

The conference took no action on a Portuguese proposal to include Spain. Portugal’s Foreign Minister, Senor Da Mata, had urged the conference to consider the admission of Spain to the work Of European construction “at an opportune moment.” He added that Spain had great agricultural resources and had made

many contributions to European culture.

Earlier it was reported that a permanent “committee of officials” had taken over virtually all the practical work of the Marshall Plan conference, following yesterday’s session, and will continue after the session today. The committee is expected to report favourably to‘the full session on four points “for organised recovery”:— 1. A future multilateral treaty on mutual economic aid.

2. A full-fledged international organisation with regular statutes. 3. Western Germany to resume her place in the European economy. 4. A bill of particulars on what American goods Europe needs. Western Union Treaty

It is officially announced that the treaty between Britain, France and the Benelux Powers will be signed at Brussels tomorrow and the text will be released.