Problem For Western Allies™ Small Nations’ Move For Berlin Truce

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 October 1948, Page 5

Problem For Western Allies™ Small Nations’ Move For Berlin Truce

(Recd, 9.55 a.m J LONDON, October 7. Dr H. V. Evatl (Australia) and M. Spaak (Belgium) have assumed leadership of the small nations’ move to bring abosL 1 ihree months’ truce between Russia and the Western Powers in Berlin, says the Evening Standard's Paris correspondent. Their plan is that Russia should raise the siege and Britain, France and America would agree to a meeting of the Foreign Ministers’ Council to discuss the entire Gertman problem. Negotiations to bring this about are going on behind the scenes. There is no indication of Russian reactions, but there is a certain “coolness” in the Anglo-American delegations to the United Nations.

The Daily Mail’s correspondent at Paris says that the Security Council’s debate on Wednesday put the British, American, and French delegates in a dilemma. They had to ask themselves: “What arc wc Io do? Wo do not want war. Bui the Russians will not co-operate with us. We have no further proposals to Mier io the Security Council er lo Moscow. The correspondent added: “None oi the delegates had the glimmering <u an answer to the dilemma. The Daily Mirror’s correspondent at Paris has interpreted the situation as giving to Russia another chance to change her mind about the Berlin blockade before the Security Council takes further action. American Stand The United States delegate (Dr Philip Jessup) told the Security Council that the United States would never surrender on Berlin. Russia, he said, was committing an act of aggression and using hostile, threatening measures in an unlawful blockade. , . “The United States is prepared to take any measure necessary to stay in Berlin and protect the people or that city,’” he added. “The United States will not surrender its rights under a threat of force applied in violation of the . Charter. I submit

that its record is a record of patience and restraint under great provocation. “I assert, without equivocation, that our restraint is born of our conviction in the justice or our cause, ;nd uct out of weakness. Is it negotiation v.-hen lhe Soviet Government u.?;: its armed forces to establish and mffintain a blockade designed to prevent the maintenance by the United Stale" ui the Gorman people committed to their charge? “When there is an actual armed attack, the Charter recognises the needs of self-defence. When the act is aggressive and threatens the use of Jorco but falls short of an armed attack, it constitutes an act of ag-gro-inn or a Tin eat to peace.” Threat Not Removed Revealing that the air lift in a single day had delivered almost 7000 tons cf supplies, Dr Jessup said that. the Security Council, as. well as the Berlin population, might well regard the air lift as. a symbol of peace and of methods of pacific settlement. “The fact that the 1 courage and ingenuity of the men and ■ women participating in this stupendous achievement has saved Berliners' from much of.the suffering Russia/ sought to enforce upon them does not'mean that the threat to peace has been removed,” he said.