TALKS IN MOSCOW

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22289, 26 March 1947, Page 5

TALKS IN MOSCOW

STALIN AND BEVIN POLICIES TO GERMANY SOME AGREEMENT SIGNS (10 a.m.) LONDON. March 25. Mr. Bevin and Marshal Stalin, at their meeting last night, doubtless discussed the revision of the Anglo-Soviet alliance, but at least it. can be said that the two men met when discussions in the Council of Foreign Ministers have, at any rate, clarified their respective policies towards Germany, says the Times correspondent in Moscow. Those policies are still widely separate, but the conference discussions have opened the possibility of agreement on one or two matters, including the form of constitution they would like to sec established in Germany and on the immediate establishment of central German technical administrations, but the Russians are still pressing their demand for reparations to the value of £2,500,000,000.

Regarded as Highly F.xcesslve

Britain thinks this is highly excessive and although Mr. Bevin has hinted he might agree that some reparations should be taken from current production, he maintains that any goods Germany can produce over her immediate needs should first go not in reparations but as exports to pay for imports and to repay Britain and the United States who have paid out large sums to keep the Germans in the western zone alive. The Russians certainly do not like the prospect of receiving no further reparations until Germany is self-supporting and they are ominously silent on Mr. Bevin's proposal that all four Allies should now join in meeting Germany's deficit until she is selfsupporting. Mr. Bevin’s, Mr. Marshall’s and M. Molotov’s speeches in Moscow have started a public debate among the German people which promises .to range far and wide, says the Times correspondent in Berlin. Even at this stage, it is clear that the major issue for both parties and people will be a federalised v. centralised Reich.

The movement away from Berlin and towards a looser federation of States has grown perceptibly in recent months. In western Germany British and American policy has been to encourage the fullest development of self-govern-ment by handing over more and more responsibility to the Lander (States) and the independence which the Lander are now enjoying is real and will not lightly surrender. The correspondent adds that separatism, as such, does not exist. Movement to Loosen Federation

The movement against the return to the highly centralised Government of the Hitler Reich derives i.ts support partly, at least, from the feeling that Berlin lost the war for Germany but a more fundamental reason is the pride of the Lander in their native culture and customs. The Communists, who are most vociferous in demanding that German unity shall not be weakened and that a strong central Government is imperative, see only the darkest designs in British and American policy. Mr. Bevin’s speech was presented in one party newspaper as being directed “against the unity of Germany.” Indeed, the Communists have become champions of a new nationalism, backed by propaganda not unlike that of the Nazis.