BIG FIVE

Grey River Argus, 6 October 1945, Page 5

BIG FIVE

NEXT MOVES Not Yet Indicated LONDON, October 4. The delegates to the Foreign Ministers’ Council. Mr. Molotov, Mr. Byrnes and M. Bidault, left Britain by air to confer with their respective Governments, after the breakdown in the first session of the Council. c ■ There is no statement from the British noint of view, but the Foreign Secretary (Mr. Ernest Bevin is expected to make a full report when the House of Commons assembles next Tuesday. . . Russian newspapers are giving tne impression that Russia’s Allies faileu to adhere to the Potsdam decisions. However, there is no pessimism in Moscow about future co-operai ton. The biggest news in the Russian capital is Mr. Molotovs interpietation of the Potsdam conference in view of the participation of China and France in the Balkan peace treaties. Golikov, head of the Reparations Commission, reviewing the years work, in which more than 5,000,000 Russians were repatriated, renewed the allegations that many hostile British, American and French elements were still terrorising the Riissians in their zones and hindering repatriation. He admitted that the Allies had repatriated more than 1.000,000 Russians, but claimed that thousands were still being held. Moscow radio said: Mr. Momtov, in a letter to the United States Secretary of State (Mr. Byrnes;, referred to a statement made by .dr. Byrnes in London on September ~b, that agreement had been reached lor the establishment of a Far Eastern Consultative Commission, to which Russia and China had “given their consent. n Mr. Molotov said. j.ne statement does not exactly describe the position. The Soviet Government as far back as September 24 handed the Council of Foreign Ministers a memorandum containing_a proposal for the formation of a Control Council for Japan with headquarters in Tokio composed of representatives of Britain, America, China and Russia, with an American chairman.. The formation of a Consultative Commission should be preceded • by the formation of a Control Council, because postponement will create considerable' difficulties. The commission should include the other countries which have taken an active part in the war against Japan.” ' Negotiations between Mr. Attlee, Mr. Truman and Mr. Stalin, with a view to defining procedure upon which another meeting of the Foreign Ministers can be held is believed here to be the next move towards a peace settlement following the recent deadlock. Whether such a meeting will consist of representatives of the three, five or more nations is an important point to be settled. It is hoped that these negotiations will result in a conference at which draft peace treaties will be drawn up and then placed before the active belligerents in the recent war for general discussion and approval. The official view here is that the breakdown of discussions by the Foreign Ministers is regrettable, but that the leaders of the Big Three nations will find a solution. The effect of the deadlock on the public, however, has been to produce a mood of irritable cynicism, for the average man and woman here had come to believe in the theory that the United Nations were moving forward to a friendlier world based on the mutual sufferings of recent years and in any case necessitated by the arrival of the atomic bomb. The many indications of international suspicion, power politics and blocs, and all the atmosphere that leads to war has been more than a sharp disappointment. The public was almost completely unprepared for a disagreement and deadlock among the big Powers which tended to increase the disillusionment. Much attention has 'been focussed on the Council’s resolution on September 11, which Mr. Molotov insisted on being expunged from the record. This/it is pointed out, states: “All five members of the Council have the right to attend all meetings and take part in all discussions, but in matters concerning peace settlements members whose Governments have not been signatory to the relevant terms of the surrender should not be entitled to vote.” When asked at the conference to confirm this decision as it appears in the minutes, Mr. Molotov replied: “I wonder how the author of this report could have found this decision, considering no decision has been adopted by the Council or signed by the Ministers.” The “Manchester Guardian’s” diplomatic; correspondent points out that as matters stand to-day the minutes of the conference are not actually signed and there are no protocols or signed records of any kind. He adds: “Mr. Molotov’s answer, carried to its logical conclusion, would mean that there have been no decisions and in that sense no conference has taken place at all.” The “Manchester Guardian,” in a leading article, expresses the opinion that the 'Byrnes-Molotov press conferences do not make a bad business any better. It agrees, however, that nothing irremediable has been done —for nothing has been done at all, but he says that the matter cannot wait for ever and that all the Governments will be forced to do some hard thinking in the next few weeks. (Rec. 10.15) WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 Senator Connally announced that thirty nations, or one more than is necessary have now ratified the United Nations’ Charter. He said that when the'ratifications were deposited in the united archieves, the Charter will come into effect, thus beginning one of the world’s greatest experiments in the field of international peace. In a broadcast from Tokio the National Broadcasting Corporation correspondent ' reported that the Prime Minister, Mr. Higashikuni. and the members of his Cabinet had resigned. PARIS, October 4.

M. Bidault, French Foreign Minister, in an interview with the French Press Agency, announced he did not intend to st'and at the elections for the Constituent Assembly.