CLASH AVERTED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21991, 8 April 1946, Page 3

CLASH AVERTED

FRENCH_CABINET UNITY ON RUHR ISSUE MOOTED BRITISH PACT (10 a.m.) LONDON, April 5. A head-on clash between the Foreign Minister, M. Bidault, and the Premier. M. Felix Gouin, over the Premier’s recent announcement that France might be content with economic rather than political control of the Ruhr was temporarily avoided at a chilly meeting of the French Cabinet, says Router's correspondent in Paris. M. Gouin averted the threat of a Government crisis when, in the interests of unity, the Premier said he would not for the time being insist that the policy of internationalisation of the Ruhr should be modified in order to secure a pact with Britain. _ French policy, therefore, remains as laid down by General de Gaulle and defended by M. Bidault, who has thus succeeded in getting endorsement of the policy for the internationalisation of the Ruhr. Triumph For Bidault The French newspapers generally regard the meeting as a triumph for M. Bidault's policy, but it is pointed out in Socialist quarters that the real reasons for M. Gouin’s apparent concession is the Socialists’ strong desire to keep the three-party coalition in being, at least until the new constitution electoral laws are voted. The Times' diplomatic correspondent says that the first and overriding response in Whitehall to the news of M. Gotiin’s conciliatory action was one of congratulations and relief that the unity of the French Cabinet had been preserved. The departure of M. Bidault would be particularly regretted. French policy has been reclarified after becoming confused but, in the same process, the differences between the British and French conceptions of security from western Germany have also again been clearly revealed: enough has been said on the French side to show they would regard an Anglo-French treaty to be largely meaningless unless an understanding on western Germany is reached or in prospect. The Ruhr is the key to a treaty. The Associated Press correspondent in Paris, quoting diplomatic sources, savs the prospects of an early conclusion of an Anglo-French treaty cooled to-day following the French Cabinet’s decision to maintain its demand for the political detachment of the Ruhr from Germany. French Policy Unaltered

A communique issued after the meeting of the French Cabinet to-day stated that there will be no modification of France’s policy towards the Ruhr, Saar and Rhineland. It added that the agreement was unanimous. The communique was described as putting an end to speculations about the supposed divergencies within the French Cabinet. In Brussels to-day, M. Jean Tarfve, secretary of the Belgian Communist Party and Minister of Reconstruction in the new Government, said that the Belgian Communists supported the French Communists in demanding international control of the Ruhr and Rhineland resources. M. Tarfve added that he considered such control offered a strong guarantee for Belgium's security. The talks that Mr. Oliver Harvey had with M. Gouin and M. Bidault were part of the “active consideration” of possibilities of an Anglo-French alliance to which the Foreign Secretary. Mr. Bevin, referred to in the House of Commons this week, says the Press Association. No definite proposals were made, but views were exchanged with the object of obtaining clarification from the French Government regarding the future of the Ruhr and Rhineland and, generally, on the alliance proposals.