BALKAN TREATIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25958, 26 September 1945, Page 5

BALKAN TREATIES

COUNCIL DISCUSSIONS LITTLE PROGRESS MADE LONDON, Sept. 24. Long-term supply arrangements for Austria, a proposal for an emergency regime for European waterways, and acceleration of the repatriation of Soviet nationals were discussed by the Foreign Ministers’ Council, which met twice to-day. The Times diplomatic correspondent says the Balkans shadow still lies heavily across the council’s work. The Ministers to-day tried to leave it behind, and went on to other items, including the American proposals for internationalising the Rhine, the Elbe, the Oder, the Danube, and Kiel Canal, but they were soon involved in the same kind of difficulty as that which prevented agreement over the Balkan treaties. They were brought up against the fundamental question whether Europe must fall into strongly-de-fended spheres of influence, or whether by a reversal of present tendencies, a new attempt to treat it as a whole could be made.

The council did not try to reach a permanent settlement regarding the rivers, but sought only to agree on provisional administrations. The Americans favoured broad interAllied administration for all rivers; Russia believed that for all practical purposes it was better to leave the rivers under the present military commands, with Kiel canal presumably under the Allied Control Commission. There seems something to be said for this provisional arrangement, but it is suggested that at a time when the Balkans controversy is still acute, it appeared to intensify the division of Europe. The discussion was not concluded.

A correspondent expresses the view that the whole success of the conference depends on broad agreement on the Balkan treaties. The course of the discussions will decide whether or not the area is to be regarded as an exclusive Soviet bloc, strongly armed and almost wholly dependent economically on Russia. But little or no progress was made towards an understanding.