BIG FOUR BUNKERED

Grey River Argus, 16 May 1946, Page 5

BIG FOUR BUNKERED

WANT TO GO HOME

Tired of Wordy Warfare

LONDON, May 14.

Reuters Paris correspondent stated: Mr Byrrps (United States), at the evening peeting of the Foreign Ministers, proposed that the conference should aqjourn. The Ministers tomorrow vill decide whether to accept this recommendation, which is officially stajed to be: “(1) That after considering the German question this conferenci goes into recess until June 15. (2)! That we call the Peace Conference or) July 1 or July 15. If this date is not agreed to, we leave to the next session the decision as to date of the Peace Conference. (3) That we immedately sign a revised armistice with Italy. (4) That there be placed on the agenda for June 15 the drafting of the treaty with Austria, the deputies meanwhile being instructed tc draft proposals for the Council’s consideration.” Mr Byrnes declared that the Ministers Should frankly face the fact that several tieaties required further study. He said: “This would permit each of us to give our undivided attention to the re-examination of our position in the hope of finding a means of reconciling them.” They could not expect early rectifications of the Italian peace treaty. They therefore should immediately sign revised armistice terms with Italy. “We can then count our present efforts as well worth while and may look tc the future with confidence that our indispensable unity will be strengthened and preserved,” he added.

The proposal was made toward the end of a three-hour session, in which all four Ministers declared they had nothing new, to say and in which the Ministers reached no further agreement on any of the outstanding points of the Italian Treaty.

President Truman’s private plane, which has been at Mr Byrnes’s disposal during the conference, is expected to arrive in Paris on Thursday. The American spokesman emphasised Mr Byrnes’s' willingness to continue the conference so long as there is any hope of reaching agreement.

Another press correspondent stated: A spokesman of one delegation said the Foreign Ministers are becoming tired. The atmosphere at the morning meeting was one of boredom. They were all becoming tired of hearing old arguments over and over again. A Times correspondent said: They cannot agree how to end the conference. Mr Byrnes and Mr Bevin wished to call a halt some days ago and pass the unfinished drafts to the Peace Conference. M. Molotov insisted that the drafts must first be completed on all fundamental matters.

A Reuter correspondent said: An optimistic week-end view', that the Ministers were ready to consider their approach to major problems, was clearly unjustified. The impression in conference circles now is that ground is being lost rather than gained by the prolonged discussions. It is felt that the discussion of the Italian and Balgan treaties has reached saturation point. BRITAIN AND NORTH AFRICA. LONDON, May 14. Mr. Molotov, at the Foreign Ministers’ conference, asked whether there would be provision in the Italian peace treaty for. the withdrawal of Allied troops from Italy after the treaty was signed. He declared Russia’s willingness to renounce her claim to maintain troops in Bulgarian territory along the lines of communication with Austria.

Mr. Bevin said that Roumania, not Bulgaria, should’ be considered as the opposite number to Italy in the matter of the withdrawal of troops. An Austrian settlement could be agreed upon and the Allied troops withdrawn. The whole problem of the maintenance of troops along communication lines, whether in Italy or the Balkans, would solve itself. Mr. Byrnes strongly supported Mr. Bevin on a withdrawal from Austria and pressed for a full discussion bn Austria.

M. Molotov opposed this on the ground' that the “Big Four” haQ struggled for nine months in attempting to draft five European peace treaties. A sixth should nor be added to the burden.

The conference unanimously accepted a report on the Italian-French, border prepared by a committee of peparts. Mr. Bevin reminded the council of Britain’s pledges to the Senussi tribes. He said’ he had received several telegrams from Tripolitania, including messages from the Multi Grand Kadi, the president of the Jewish committee, and leading Arab notabilities protesting against Italian trusteeship of Tripolitania, and declaring such a step would threaten political troubles. M. Molotov said he had studied the British pledge to the Senussi tribes, but thought it did not affect the question of placing the colonies under trusteeship.

Mr. Bevin replied that M. Molotov’s interpretation was not acceptable. Mr. Bevin said: “It is perfectly clear that the Senussi will not again be placed under Italian domination. Britain will not violate a pledge given at a time when she was fighting alone against the Axis. The Senussi tribes then came to . our assistance and, though their help was small, it was welcome. We gave them a promise and we intend to implement it.”