CRISIS PEAK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22511, 15 December 1947, Page 5

CRISIS PEAK

BIG FOUR MEETING BREAKDOWN FEARS MOLOTOV INTRACTABLE REPARATIONS ISSUE IN Z.P.A.—Reuter—Copyright.) (10 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 14. The Council of Foreign Ministers has postponed its next meeting ‘ until Monday because all the delegations feel that the conference has reached the crisis point, says the Observer’s diplomatic correspondent. All want time to consider whether and how to go on with the conference. Logically, the point of final and absolute deadlock has been reached. There is now almost general profound pessimism about any possibility of the conference succeeding, but each of the three Western delegations is almost equally reluctant to be the one to bang the door. M. Molotov had the best of the proceedings, accumulating useful propaganda points and he appears quite willing to go on indefinitely. Bitter Complaints About Molotov The Sunday Times says that most of the delegates are wondering whether there is any purpose in continuing the conference much longer unless M. Molotov shows greater readiness for negotiation. They complain bitterly of his repeated attempts to use the conference as a propaganda platform. Both Mr. Marshall and Mr. Bevin have reached the limit of their patience. If the conference broke down Russia would lose most. She would sacrifice her potential share of capital equipment from the Western zones and forfeit the possibility of a voice in inter-Allied control of the Ruhr. Some authorities think, therefore, that the violence of M. Molotov’s vituperations may be intended to camouflage a change of tactics. The Sunday Express’ political correspondent understands that the afterlunch fireside talk yesterday between Mr. Marshall and M. Molotov was a failure. M. Molotov showed himself unwilling to discuss in detail any of the problems that Mr. Marshall wanted to talk over. German Leaders’ Plan Ready The correspondent says the fact that the fireside talk produced no results increased the feeling that the Foreign Ministers’ conference may break down—possibly tomorrow. German leaders in the American zone have already worked out secretly a preliminary draft of a constitution for an interim Federal Government of Western Germany, says the Associated Press’ correspondent at Frankfurt. The draft has the approval of many British zone politicians and its terms leave the way open for the inclusion of the French zone. The draft will be produced if a complete deadlock is reached at the Foreign Ministers’ conference in London and will be presented almost immediately to the German people. The British and American authorities have no such detailed plan of possible action in the event of a deadlock in London. In the bluntest speaking heard so far in the Big Four Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Mr. Bevin and Mr. Marshall condemned M. Molotov for accusing the Western Powers during the session today of making profits out of Germany. Mr. Bevin said: “I did not dream that we should be subjected to such insults and abuse. All people of the British Commonwealth will resent it.” Mr. Marshall said it was obvious that M. Molotov did not intend his statement for discussion, but designed it for another audience. “Considering the purpose of this conference and the positions the delegates occupy in their own Governments, such a procedure makes it difficult to respect the Government of Russia.” M. Molotov spoke twice and each time his colleagues rebuked him. Meeting Becomes Lively The meeting became lively when the Ministers discussed a proposal that each occupying Power should provide information about reparations removals from its zone so far. Mr. Marshall said he did not see why economic information on Germany should be withheld. He proposed that the information on reparations already demanded should be submitted by December 15. M. Molotov said that by December 15 the British and American delegations could also say how many enterprises the British and American authorities had bought in the western zones and what profits Britain and other intermediaries” had made on the sale at low prices of Ruhr coal and timber. Mr. Bevin, speaking more loudly than usual, declared: “I won’t wait until Monday. Every time we ask for information we get insults, insinuations or accusations. It makes one a little tired. British Profits Denied “In the British zone no firms have been sold. The British Government has made no profits on Ruhr coal. The same is true of timber which has been paid for at world prices. “On the other hand, though we cannot check it without official Information, we are told that the Soviet has taken at least £1,750,000,000 worth of material out of Germany since the war.” “I am used to accusations on the radio. We don’t take much notice, but I had hoped it would not come into the conference room. I wish we could get down to facts-” t Mr Marshall also denied M. Molotov’s charges. “Now T ask M. Molotov to answer .our request for the information desired by Monday.” M. Molotov said he would accept the American request for information by Monday provided that, by Monday, the council at least achieved a general reparations agreement. “Time Has Come Now” Mr Marshall said there could not be a reparations agreement without information that the western zones sought. M. Molotov said the Soviet views on reparations would be put forward at the proper time. Mr Marshall: The time has now come. M. Molotov, in a long speech, said: “The Soviet is not asking but demanding that reparations from Germany be settled at once.” The Ministers left the topic unresolved and discussed the Soviet proposal that the economic unification of the British and American zones should be deemed null and void. M. Molotov declared a plan was ready to incorporate the French zone into the joint zones, with the possible captital at Frankfurt. Mr. Marshall and M. Bidault denied that such a plan existed. The Ministers then passed to reparations and the Russian demand for £2,500,000,000, including Poland’s share. Bitter Attack on America M. Molotov, in a long speech, repeated the charges that the United States was preventing the creation of an independent Germany and that "foreign reactionary circles want to use Germany as a strategic base against Europe’s democratic countries.” Mr. Bevin and Mr. Marshall then made their protests. Mr. Bevin said: “M. Molotov might at least have wound up a long speech by thanking us for the courtesy of listening.” M. Molotov said his statement had been in reply to Mr. Marshall’s and added: “I don’t intend to reply to Mr. Marshall’s attacks.” Tha conference adjourned until tomorrow.

The Times’ diplomatic correspondent says that all the cordiality and accommodating spirit shown at the meeting yesterday disappeared today as though it had never been. The Ministers had come at last to the vital issue of reparations on which the fate of the conference depends. It gave M. Molotov the cue for one of the most

virulent attacks upon the Western Powers he has made at this or any conf6l'6nC6i The correspondent adds that M, Molotov's accusations about the British and Americans making profits from German coal and timber and buying up German firms have been answered many times before. The, British Government refused to issue visas to 17 Germans whom the German ‘‘People’s Congress” elected to travel to London to place its ' views before the Foreign Ministers. The Socialist Unity Party in the Soviet zone held a congress in Berlin last week-end to mobilise German oninion behind the Russian policy.