SMALLER POWERS’ PLAN TO SOLVE BERLIN DISPUTE

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 October 1948, Page 6

SMALLER POWERS’ PLAN TO SOLVE BERLIN DISPUTE

PARIS, October 9. “Mr Vyshinsky is reliably reported by United Nations sources to have forwarded to the Kremlin the plan of the ‘Little Six’ in the Security Council for a solution of the Berlin crisis,” says the Associated Press correspondent in Paris. “These sources said that the need to wait for the Kremlin’s reply caused the Little Six, who are Argentina, Canada, China, Belgium, Colombia and Syria, to favour delaying until Monday or later the next Security Council meeting on the Berlin dispute. “The nature of the plan has not been disclosed. The delaying of the meeting would give the President of the Council, Mr Juan Bramuglia (Argentina) more time for go-between work towards mediation. Mutual Concession Urged

“The Little Six Powers are believed to be thinking in terms of a joint Six-Power declaration appealing to the Big Four to compose their differences in a spirit of mutual concession and co-operation. After a meeting of the Little Six Powers, Mr Roberto Urdeneita (Colombia) said: “I have hopes that we will succeed in finding a formula, but it. will take a little time.” Reuter’s correspondent says: “Mr Bramuglia is understood to have presented two main questions to Mr Vyshinsky in his interview yesterday:— (1) In view of the Soviet’s delegation’s ‘boycott’ of the Security Council debate, would Russia be prepared to accept and honour a directive from the Council on the Berlin issue? (2) In what terms would the Soviet delegation envisage a ‘formula’ for lifting the blockade? Mr Vyshinsky is understood to have told Mr Manuilsky (Ukraine), with whom Mr Bramuglia also had an interview, that he would refer the questions to Moscow and give a reply later.” Variety Of Possibilities The United States delegate (Dr Philip Jessup), who presented the case against Russia’s Berlin blockade to the Security Council, said that the Council had a great variety of possibilities under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. These included the power to appoint any kind of Commission, or make a tender of good offices, or anything of that sort. It was a mistake, he said, to suppose that action under Chapter VII involved only the question of possible sanctions. Chapter VII opened the door to any kind of effort directed towards a peaceful solution.