Australia's Views

Northern Advocate, 24 January 1947, Page 3

Australia's Views

On German Treaty (Rec. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, Jan, 23 Despite'the chairman (M. Gusev’s) instructions that ho must confine himself to matters of substance. Australia’s representative (Colonel Hodgson) this afternoon in a three-hour address succeeded in 'delivering Australia’s* views on procedure for the German settlement, in a manner which won the Foreign Ministers’ deputies, including M. Gusev’s, outspoken commendation.

Colonel Hodgson argued that instead of working on a peace treaty for Germany, all active belligerents should be engaged on drawing up an interim agreement which would settle all current political, economic and frontier problems.

Permanent features of the settlement should then be carried forward into the peace treaty to be signed by a German Government when there was one in existence.

Colonel Hodgson earlier had sidestepped M. Gusev’s instruction to confine himself to views on matters of substance by saying that he proposed to discuss how those views should be heard.

He added that Australia had made great sacrifices in both wars. It was his duty to see that she was never called on to do so again. He then reserved the right for the Australian representative to appear before the deputies again to detail fully her views on all aspects of the German settlement. M. Gusev* later thanked Colonel Hodgson for his clear exposition of Australia's case. POLAND ON AUSTRIA

The Foreign Ministers’ deputies discussing the Austrian treaty decided to refer to the Foreign Ministers the question of what nations should be named in the preamble to tire Austrian treaty.

Tiie deputies this morning heard Poland’s delegate. M. Stel'an Wiebloski, express his views on the treaty. He declared that it should be clearly recognised that on Austria rested the responsibility for participating in (lie war on the side of Hitlerite Germany.

All steps should be taken to prevent propaganda in favour of the anschluss, and all Nazis removed from important posts. Poland demanded restitution or compensation for property belonging to Poles in Austria, and for property removed from Poland to Austria, also compensation for Polish forced labour in. Austria.

An Ottawa message says that following an expression of dissatisfaction last week by the Minister of External Affairs (Mr Louis St Laurent) at the proposed degree of Canada’s participation in drafting the German and Austrian peace treaties, the Canadian Press learns that Canada will probably decline to appear before the deputy Foreign Ministers in London unless permitted to do more than submit a written statement on the peace settlement.