CO-OPERATION NEEDED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26214, 26 July 1946, Page 5

CO-OPERATION NEEDED

BRITAIN AND AMERICA CONTROL OF GERMAN ZONES (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.) LONDON, July 24. Discussions are at present proceeding in London between Mr Bevin and his expert advisers upon the British attitude to the American proposal for economic co-operation in Germany. Today and yesterday Mr Bevin conferred with Mr J. B. Hynd, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who has just returned from Germany and Austria. General Sir Brian Robertson, deputy to the British Commander-in-Chief in Germany, and Sir William Strang, his political adviser. The object of discussions is to send General Robertson and Sir William Strang to Berlin with a clear brief from the British Cabinet for discussions with the Americans. The Times, in an editorial, says the caution with which Britain received the American proposals does not mean that Britain opposes Mr Byrnes’s suggestions, but that she is anxious to

explore all the possibilities of avoiding a complete cleavage between the western and Russian administrations. Failure of all attempts to secure Russian co-operation in treating Germany as an economic whole has made it necessary for the British and Americans to take positive steps to reduce the present burden of supporting their own zones.

Although economic union of the British and American zones would. promote partition of Germany, it would have certain substantial advantages to both countries.

So far, The Times points out. the French have not yet indicated whether they are prepared to join the British and Americans, but it is probable that the logic of geography and the ultimate advantages the French would derive through co-opera-tion will persuade them to do so. “On the balance it would appear to be the duty of the British Government, in spite of the grave dangers involved from the political point of view, to accept the American offer." The Times concludes: “ Whatever is done should be done quickly, but not so quickly as to obscure or obstruct what still remains the ideal—the organisation of all Germany on a basis of political and economic unity freely agreed upon by all the Powers. The American offer is just as much open to the Russians as to the British.” Moscow radio accused British and American newspapers of raising the issue of unification of the western zones in Germany to justify “ some breach in the Berlin conference ” that the Western democracies had themselves committed. The radio added that Germany could be regarded as an economic whole only if the Allied Powers acted in accord.