BIG FIVE

Grey River Argus, 24 August 1945, Page 5

BIG FIVE

NEXT MEETING Publicity Desired (Rec. 9.50) NEW YORK, Aug: 23. The Secretary of State, Mr J. F. Byrnes, announced at a Press conference that he proposed that the London meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers shall be deferred from September 1 to September 10. This was due to problems which arose from the end of the Japanese war. Two of the five other nations forming the Council had agreed so far. Mr Byrnes said he considered that the Italian armistice terms should be revised, although this matter was for the Foreign Ministers’ Council. He added: "It would not be helpful to Italy to have the terms published as they originally were written.” Mr Byrnes was asked if the Council would meet at a place cut off from the Press, as at Potsdam. He said that the Foreign Ministers would decide their policy. He pointed out that at Potsdam the talks were held within the Russian occupation lines. He was sure that the conditions in London would be different. Mr Byrnes declared that he had argued at P'otsdam for the freedom of the Press, which, he believed, would contribute more than anything else to a public understanding and an acceptance of the Potsdam decisions. He added: “Britain, Russia and the United States have no doubt that, under changed conditions of peace time, the Allied Press will have full freedom to report events.” He pointed out that this was supported by a Russian concession to a party of Allied correspondents who had been taken to Poland, and allowed full freedom of movement and uncensored transmission of news. President Truman told the Associated Press assistant-general manager, Mr Paul Miller, that he desired all Press representatives, irrespective of their origin and nationality, to have equal access to Washington news. He added that he hoped the same would be true throughout the world, and that American newsmen would have equal access with their contemporaries in all countries.