ALLIED TALKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25216, 31 May 1945, Page 5

ALLIED TALKS

LIKELY EXTENSION STATUS OF TREATIES (Reed. 9.5 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, May The French demand for changes in the Big Four amendment relating to the status of treaties directed against former enemy States, also other pending problems, seem likely to extend the conference to the end of June, says the New York Herald Tribune's "correspondent. As it is now contemplated, the charter provides that bilateral treatie.be subordinated to the world organisation. by the "consent" of the signatories. France, however, wants this changed to "request." France also wants a language that would give the signers of such treaties as the Franco-Soviet Pact the right not only to act to prevent aggression by former enemy States, hut also the right to act to prevent aggression by anybody for the life of the treaties, without waiting for the Security Council to act. It is understood that such rights would not be greater than those granted to the United States and the LatinAmericas under the Act of Chapultepec. Russia strongly supports France in both requests, although the reason for this is not explained and not apparent. The New York Times correspondent reports that, at Canada's request, which was supported bv the Netherlands and other middle nations, the Big Five have agreed on the principle that a non-member of the Security Council should have representation and a vote when the use of its own military forces are involved in the Big Five's discussions.

Other important developments were: (1 i Denmark is now eligible to seek admission to the conference. The Russians agreed that Denmark signed the Anti-Comintern Pact under duress and that Denmark's resistance to the Germans justified her admission, to which the other sponsor Powers agreed a fortnight ago. (2) The Russians asked that the charter's adherence to self-determina-tion principles apply not only to members of the new organisation, but to colonial peoples. (3) The Russians also requested the elimination of the so-called Palestine Amendment, which freezes the rights of any State, or any peoples in any territory. or the terms of any mandate. (4) The Peruvian delegation proposed a provision in the charter that the world press should have the right of free access to the General Assembly s deliberations, thereby making the assembly of the new league tbe focal point of world public opinion.

MAINTAINING PEACE

STRONG COUNCIL NEEDED ATTITUDE OF RUSSIANS SAN FRANCISCO, May 29 M. Gromyko, leader of the Soviet delegation to the United Nations Conference, in a speech, emphasised the need for unitv among the Great Powers if world peace was to be maintained. The New York Times correspondent reported that M. Gromyko said: Ihe greatest desire of the peoples of all member nations is for an effective security organisation, free from the defects of the League of Nations. For that reason Russia insists on the strong Security Council proposed at Dumbarton Oaks and Yalta with the Big FiveBritain. America, Russia, China and France —holding permanent seats and special veto powers. That is the reason why Russia is opposed to small nations' amendments, introduced by the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, which would have decreased the Council's powers and increased the General Assembly's powers in which every member would have an equal vote." M. Gromyko gave the following three reasons why he considered the Big Power type* of organisation was not contrary to the principles of democracy: (1) The General Assembly would be a representative body, including all members each having one vote. (2) More than half the members of the Securitv Council would be elected by the General Assembly. (3) The nations with permanent seats on the Security Council deserved the respect of all peace-loving nations, since, with the help of the other United Nations, they saved the world from enslavement by Fascist barhnrians. They saved democracy, independence and freedom for man'v peoples at the cost of many lives, They also saved many peoples from extermination M. Gromyko asserted that consideration of prestige should be moved to the background and that fundamental national interests of countries and peoples should be moved into the foreground. Yi hat the peoples really wanted was to prevent another world war which would be much more disastrous than the present one because of the advances in military technique and technology.

HITLER'S SECRETS FOREIGN OFFICE PAPEKS DOCUMENTS REACH LONDON (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON. May 30 Thirty railway waggonloads' of Hitler's secrets have arrived in London, says the Daily Express. The secrets are the complete archives of the German Foreign Office. They reveal all the diplomatic intrigues by Hitler and his Foreign Minister, von Ribbentrop, before and during the war. The documents are tied up in thousands of carefully docketed and indexed brown paper parcels which are now being closely examined by British and American experts. Among the documents is a letter from Petain to Hitler written on August 15, 1944, a fortnight before the liberation of Paris by the Allies. In the letter, Petain says: "I implore the Fuehrer as a civilised European not to defend Paris against the Allies, so that the last undamaged centre of European culture and civilisation shall not be de«t roved."

There is no record of Hitler ever having acknowledged receipt of the letter.

THREAT TO ARGENTINA UNITED STATES DECISION (Rerd. 10.35 p.m.) NEW YORK, May 30 The United States Government has decided to withhold shipments of arms and other materials to Argentina owing to dissatisfaction over the manner in which the Argentine Government is fulfilling the terms of the Act of Chapultepec. reports the HeraldTribune's correspondent in Buenos Aires. Argentina will also be denied priority rating on the list of LatinAmerican nations desiring to purchase industrial and agricultural machinery. It is understood that Washington considers Argentina has failed to fulfil at least three articles of the Act. They are: (1) The elimination of subversive groups and the prevention of the admission of dangerous deportees and propagandists. (2) Adherence to democratic principles. (3 1 ) Adherence to the principles of the Atlantic Charter. The Farrell regime has also failed to observe the obligation to guarantee the people full and impartial access to sources of information. The United Press correspondent says Argentina has assured the United State* Ambassador. Mr Spruile Braden, that it will meet unequivocally all the obligations assumed under the Act of Chapultepec.

NEW HOME FOR POLES (Rped. 12.10 a.m.) LONDON. May 3(> The Lublin radio reports that 500,000 Poles will settle around the Masurian Lakes, East Prussia, during the next two months.