UNANIMITY WHEN AGREE TO DISAGREE

Northern Advocate, 29 November 1947, Page 7

UNANIMITY WHEN AGREE TO DISAGREE

FOREiGN MINISTERS.

(New Zealand Press Assn:—Reuters —Copyright) LONDON, Fri. (11.45 a.m.). —The Foreign Ministers today returned to the question of German frontiers, but had to leave the subject when M. Molotov refused to discuss it. M. Molotov then brought the council to the question of unifying or dividing Germany between east and west. Mr Marshall and M. Bidault agreed, with reservations, to Mr Kevin’s suggestion that the council should immediately establish a commission or commissions to report on the territorial claims of neighbouring states against Germany.

M. Bidault said France could not discuss the formation of any central government in Germany until the question of the Saar was settled. M. Molotov said it would be premature to settle the frontiers of Germany. Mr Bevin commented that the council was only able to reach unanimity when members agreed to disagree. The ministers abandoned the discussion on frontiers and returned to the question of procedure. M. Molotov quoted newspaper and other reports which, he said, suggested that there would be a government for the western zones if the council failed to create a central German government. Messrs Bevin and Marshal! replied insisting that Britain and the United States wanted a central German government and had made no plans’for separate western or zona! governments, independent of the Russian I zone.

Mr Bevin said the British Foreign Secretary did not write the speeches or reports to which M. Molotov had referred. Britain would continue her efforts to secure a central German government, but it must not be a government under any sort of dictatorship, no matter’ what name was given to it. Mr Bevin said: “If, in the end, however, peace is denied them, then surely, we cannot allow ourselves to stand still with western Europe in chaos and do nothing at all." Mr Bevin said he had heard rumours of a separate government being established for the Russian zone, but had not believed them. If a responsible government could not be obtained for the whole of Germany then the situation must not be further prejudiced by failure to provide responsible government for part of Germany. The Ministers decided to continue discussion of procedure for preparation of the German peace treaty tomorrow.