EIGHT BUSY DAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24760, 7 December 1943, Page 3

EIGHT BUSY DAYS

LEADERS' ACTIVITIES

LONG HOURS OF WORK (Reed. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 5 A day-by-day story of the activity of the leading figures at the world's greatest conference is given by the Exchange Telegraph Company's correspondent. The British and American delegations left the North African rendezvous secretly by air on November 27 and arrived in Teheran the same afternoon. President Roosevelt left the American Legation next day to stay at the Russian Embassy as Marsha] Stalin's guest. Mr. Churchill remained at the British Legation just opposite. A plenary session was opened at 4.30 p.m. on November 28 and lasted until 7.30 p.m. Marshal Stalin, Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill dined together. Mr. Churchill worked until 4.30 the next morning sending messages to London via a special signals unit installed in the grounds' compound. Mr. Churchill's Birthday Mr. Churchill gave a luncheon on November 29 for the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony Eden, and President Roosevelt's personal representative, Mr. Harry Hopkins. Mr. Churchill later presented the Stalingrad Sword to Marshal Stalin. Plenary sessions were continued, and the national leaders dined together. Mr. Churchill returned to the British Legation at midnight and conferred with Mr. Eden until 2.30 a.m. On November 30, Mr. Churchill's birthday, Mr. Churchill visited the Russian Embassy and met the Shah of Persia. The three leaders lunched together and the plenary sessions were then continued. Thirty-four guests, including Marshal Stalin, Mr. Roosevelt and the Chiefs of Staff, were at Mr. Churchill's birthday dinner party. British troops from the Persian-Irak command gave Mr. Churchill birthday presents. Return to North Africa The plenary sessions were continued on December 1, and the communique was signed and the talks were concluded. The leaders dined together. On December 2 Mr. Churchill and Mr. Roosevelt returned to the North African meeting place by air, arriving in the afternoon. Mr. Churchill conferred with General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, Commander-in-Chief in the Middle East, Air Chief Marshal Sir William Sholto Douglas, Air Officer Commanding in the Middle East, and Major-General R. E. Laycock, Chiei of Combined Operations. Ihe American Chiefs of Staff met all the morning. The combined British and American Chiefs of Staff conferred for two hours in the afternoon. Mr. Churchill conferred with Mr. Hopkins and later dined with Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Eden. On December 4 Mr. Churchill met the British Chiefs of Staff. The combined Chiefs of Staff, with Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill, met at Mr. Roosevelt's villa. BOLIVIA DECLARES WAR long secret session (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) L/ONDON, Dec. (> The Government of Bolivia has declared war on the Axis Powers, This decision followed a long secret session of the Bolivian Government. It is recalled that the President of the Republic, General Castillio, seven months ago signed a pact in Washington with the United Nations which constituted an offensive and defensive alliance. The products of Bolivia's many mining industries should be a decided acquisition to the Allied nations, although for some time the United States and Britain have been the chief buyers of tin and lead in that country. About one-fourth of the world s tin is produced in Bolivia and large copper industries are established. Silver, gold tungsten, bismuth, lead, antimony and zinc are among other products of her mines. . , , For some time Britain has bought a large amount of Bolivian, tin. In October, 1940, that country undertook to sell annually to America 18,000 tons of tin which was the entire surplus after British contracts had been filled For over two years America has had the exclusive "right to buy Bolivian lead, while in 1941 she contracted to buy the entire rubber output for five years, with the exception of the amount required for domestic needs and 250 tons sold each year to neighbouring counBolivia broke off diplomatic relations with the Axis Powers in March, *1942, following an attempted Nazi "putsch, and the discovery of subversive activities by German agents working with i agents in other South American States.