ENVOYS AGAIN SEE MOLOTOV: LONGEST CONFERENCE YET

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 August 1948, Page 5

ENVOYS AGAIN SEE MOLOTOV: LONGEST CONFERENCE YET

(Recd. 11 a.m.) . LONDON, August 16. The Western envoys in Moscow returned to the British Embassy from the longest Kremlin conference yet. It lasted three hours 40 minutes. The envoys refused to comment and would not state whether they considered another meeting is possible. A later message says the Western envoys in Moscow met Mi Molotov again at the Kremlin tonight. The envoys conferred at the American Embassy for over an hour this morning and met again at the British Embassy just before going to the Kremlin. In London Ministers met in the Cabinet offices late this afternoon. Mr Herbert Morrison, Mr Ernest Bevin, Sir Stafford Cripps and the service chiefs were present.

Speaking at Frankfurt, the United States Military Governor, General Clay, said today: “I have no indication of any change in the Western Powers’ policy towards Western Germany or any abandoning of the preparation for the creation of a Provisional Government. Of course, I do not know what decisions rniay be reached in Moscow.” General Clay denied a suggestion that he and his principal advisers were threatening to resign if the West Germany policy were changed.

British officials in Berlin said the Russian authorities had ordered the farmers in the Russian zone to harvest their crops immediately, whether ripe or not. Crops were beingharvested night and day. It is believed the order is the result of the. Russian offer in July to feed the whole of Berlin. ‘■Purely Routine” The Ministers’ meeting in London is officially stated to have been purely routine and a normal recess occurrence.

Mr Morrison presided over the 90minute meeting. Other Ministers present included Lord Addison, Mr Tomlinson, Dr Dalton, Mr Creech Jones, and Mr Belcher. The meeting is believed to have been concerned mainly with home and economic affairs.

The Western zone Military Governors in Germany, after a conference, announced that the 20 deutschemarks per head outstanding on the initial personal allowance under the currency reform law would be released for payment on August 20, says the Frankfurt correspondent of The Times. With this instalment the exchange of 60 reichmarks foi’ 60 deutschemarks on a one-for-one basis will be completed.

The meeting with the Western envoys is believed to be the longest Mr Molotov, has ever had with foreign diplomats, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent.

British Protest

Britain protested to the Russian occupation officials after two Yak fighters dived within 100 feet of a Viking passenger aircraft flying from Berlin along the regular corridor to the West, says Reuter's Berlin correspondent. The official British statement said the Yaks “buzzed” the Viking and then broke away. The British had to inform the Russians beforehand about the Viking’s flight. A Royal Air Force Vampire Jetplane, based in the British zone of Germany, made a forced landing six miles inside Russian-occupied territory today. British officers made contact with Russian officials in an attempt to recover the aircraft. The pilot is reported to be unhurt.