W. EUROPE POWERS ASSURED OF AMERICAN AID

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22696, 22 July 1948, Page 5

W. EUROPE POWERS ASSURED OF AMERICAN AID

LONDON, July 0

The decision that United States and Canadian observers will attend all future meetings of the Western Union Military Committee was interpreted in diplomatic quarters in London to mean that the rumoured North Atlantic defence bloc now exists and that the Western Powers are now assured of substantial trans-Atlantic military aid, says Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent. A small number of Canadian and United States military experts are at present in London to participate as non-members in the current conversations in the military committee of the Brussels Treaty Powers. Reuter’s correspondent at The Hague says it is not thought that a new approach to Russia emanating from the Western Union Foreign Ministers’ discussions will involve a retraction of

the previous condition that a prerequisite of new four-Power negotiations must be the lifting of the Berlin blockade. The Five Foreign Ministers at The Hague conference issued a communique saying that they had broadly exchanged views regarding a number of international problems of mutual interest, including the German problem.

“The Ministers were clearly in agreement on these problems,” the communique added. “The five Governments would ‘defend their independence, integrity and institutions in co-operation with States animated by (he same ideal.’ ” European Assembly Proposed M. Bidault, before the close of the Western Union conference, formally moved the creation of a European Assembly to include the Western Union Powers and “other States which might want to participate in the vast enterprise.” . M. Bidault also moved the creation of a customs union among the Western Union countries and other European nations desirous of joining. Mr. Ernest Bevin and M. Spaak agreed with the principle of the French proposals, but rejected them as impracticable at present. Reuter’s correspondent in Paris says that well-informed quarters regard the result of the Western Union Foreign Ministers’ talks as a success for M. Bidault’s policy of moderation towards Russia. It is stated that the United States is now prepared to accept a four-Power conference on a Foreign Ministers’ level provided the Berlin blockade is lifted, whereas a week ago the United States was not prepared to go as far as that. The chances of ultimately securing a settlement of the Berlin dispute without war are still regarded in Paris as fairly favourable.