SOVIET REBUFFED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22569, 24 February 1948, Page 5

SOVIET REBUFFED

PROTEST WEST POWERS’ MEETING CONTROL OF GERMANY (2 p.m-) LONDON, Feb. 23. While the three-Power conference on Germany was in its first session in London, the Soviet Ambassador called at the Foreign Office, and was handed a Note in which the British Government rejected the Soviet protest at the holding of the meeting. The British Note denied that the three-Power meeting was a violation of the Potsdam agreement. The United States and France, the other two Powers at the conference had also rejected the Soviet protest. The Czechoslovak and Yugoslav Ambassadors were given copies of the Note to the Soviet.

Britain invited Holland, Belgium and Luxemburg to join the three-Power discussions on agenda items of direct interest to them.

The chief question to be discussed will be that of increased co-operation between the three western zones, says the Times diplomatic correspondent. He added that there is a slight air of self-consciousness among members of the delegations. It is the first time that the Western representatives have specially gathered together outside Germany to discuss a long-term policy for the western zones and they are first and foremost anxious for it to be known that they are not barring the door on an eventual four-Power agreement for the whole of Germany. The delegates shyly prefer the word "discussions” to the more formal “conference," and, on the British side, it was said during the week-end that the results would perhaps bring agreements in principle rather than decisions. The most hopeful sign is that the proceedings are confidential, with none of the speech-making designed for outside audiences, that marred the recent four-Power meeting of the Foreign Ministers’ Council.