ATTITUDE TO JAPANESE TREATY

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 May 1949, Page 5

ATTITUDE TO JAPANESE TREATY

Replying to Mr Vyshinsky’s suggestion for a Japanese peace treaty, Mr Acheson .said the Far Eastern Commission existed for inter-Allied discussion on the Japanese question and it was not the business of the Council of Foreign Ministers to deal with Japan at all. He was, however, prepared to discuss Mr Vyshinsky’s question at a later stage. Mr Bevin, agreeing with Mr Ache- • son, said the Commonwealth Powers —Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Ceylon, and Canada —were concerned with the question and all had the right to participate in its discussion. Mr Vyshinsky said he did not propose that this question should be put on the agenda foi' the Paris meeting, but it was appropriate to see what problems might lie ahead for future meetings. Replying to Mr Bevin’s reference

to the Commonwealth claim to participate in the discussions, Mr Vyshinsky said that, naturally, these countries should take a part in preparing tlie Japanese peace treaty, but not in the preliminary phase, which would consist of a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers with the participation of China.