SUDDEN CONFLAGRATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26233, 17 August 1946, Page 7

SUDDEN CONFLAGRATION

Peace Conference Debates

OUTBURST BY MR MOLOTOV Britain’s Motives Impugned (Rec. 1 a.m.) PARTS, Aug. 4. Mr Molotov told the delegates to the Paris Conference that Britain and America had been very persistent in suggesting the principle of equal economic opportunity for all nations. "I think Britain would not agree to its application in the Emnire, say India,” he said, “it is obvious that the principle benefits only those countries whose capital can dominate weakened communities.” Mr Molotov denied Mr Byrnes’s suggestion that Russia opposed ex-enemy countries paying compensation for damage to United Nations property. He s?£id Russia favoured both compensation for damage and also reparations, not in full, but in part. Mr Molotov, agreeing with the tribute to Greece by Mr Alexander, said: “Should not we remember the members of E.A.M., who acquitted themselves as the finest and best fighters for our common cause? On the other hand, the representative of Greece went to such lengths as to suggest the partitioning of Albania. To pass over these plans in silence would serve only to encourage them.” “ The most open dispute so far between Russia and Britain and America developed from a debate which was generally expected to be given over to a routine discussion on the Hungarian and Finnish treaties,” says the Paris correspondent of The Times. “ The long suppressed conflict over the economic organisation of ex-enemy' States, and, indeed, of Europe as a whole, was suddenly brought to the surface.” In contradiction to the view that the delegates would be embarrassed by an open dispute between the big Powers, the Russian speakers were warmly clapped by the members of the Russian group and then, when Mr Byrnes and Mr Alexander spoke, it was the turn of the Western European and Dominion representatives to applaud while the Russian group remained still and cold.