PROPOSAL REJECTED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26596, 20 October 1947, Page 5

PROPOSAL REJECTED

SOVIET THREAT OF BOYCOTT Rec. 11.50 p.m. NEW YORK, Oct. 18. The Political Committee to-day voted 38 to none to refer to a subcommittee the plan for a “Little Assembly,” but the Russian group announced it would boycott the whole proposal because it was illegal. Mr Manuilsky (Ukraine) delivered a long denunciation of United States foreign poilcy and attacked Mr James Byrnes’s recent book “Speaking Frankly.” Mr Manuilsky said Mr Byrnes had called for the forcible ejection of Russian troops from Germany if the Soviet failed to come to an agreement with the “ Anglo-Ameri-can bloc. This is war-mongering on a grand scale from the man who led United States foreign policy,” he said. Replying to Sir Hartley Shawcross’s appeal for a spirit of co-operation, Mr Manuilsky said, “Where is the spirit of co-operation in the actions of the British Government? Is it in the fact that Britain and the United States have their own agreement for the settlement of the German and Japanese peace treaties, accompanied by Mr Byrnes’s threats? Is it in the action of Britain and the United States in attempting to solve the Ruhr problem for the benefit of their own cartels? In the face of Britain’s action. Sir Hartley Shawcross’s appeal sounds like mockery. It is nothing but London fog to conceal the real motives against the Soviet.” . Sir Hartley Shawcross. replying to Mr Manuilsky, said. “ When people cry stridently that others are war-mongers I remember how Hitler denounced President Benes as a war-monger a few weeks before invading Czechoslovakia. I deplore equally those who talk of war as being likely or inevitable. That is one of the best ways of making it inevitable.” The sub-committee to consider the proposal for a.“ Little Assembly” will consist of 15 members. Places will be left vacant on the sub-committee for Russia and Czechoslovakia.