OUTLOOK NOT HOPEFUL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22313, 24 April 1947, Page 5

OUTLOOK NOT HOPEFUL

BIG FOUR SETTLEMENT CLEAVAGE OVER AUSTRIA (11 a.m.) LONDON. April 23. The Time’s correspondent in Moscow states that the Big Four Foreign Ministers had two private meetings yesterday, one in the morning and the other in the evening, but nothing emerged to raise any hopes that they can agree on the Austrian treaty and it is not known whether they will discuss it again during this conference. Indeed, they seem to be switching back to their even wider differences over Germany. This morning their deputies will meet to set out all the present disagreements —which have arisen over almost every major matter they have discussed ranging from the amount of repara tions which Germany shall pay to the terms on which German economic unity may be established and the future of control over the Ruhr. Whether the Ministers will make another serious attempt to bridge these differences when they meet in the afternoon is highly doubtful. The American delegation, which has desired a final debate, is now much less hopeful that it. could bring about any change. Everything will depend on whether M. Molotov has any new proposals to bring forward. In default of any such move, the French delegation is expecting to leave by Thursday at the latest and the British delegation mav leave on Friday Some delegates are still hoping that something may turn up at the last moment to prevent them going away almost completely empty handed, but it is hard to see the grounds for such a hope. _____