FRENCH FEARS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26770, 13 May 1948, Page 7

FRENCH FEARS

GERMAN RESURGENCE IN THE RUHR PROPOSALS FOR CONTROL ./ N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 8.15 p.m. LONDON, May 12. French fears that the Germans may regain control over the Ruhr are proving an obstacle to the progress of the Six-Power discussions on Germany. The French have already considerably modified their first demands that the Ruhr should be physically and politically cut adrift from Germany, but are insisting that France must have the major voice in the future control of the Ruhr industrial output. This demand springs from French fears of possible German resurgence and strong French public opinion which demands that France must be adequately protected against another German invasion. The Americans, however, have proposed that the Ruhr output should be under the control of an international authority, on which France would, have only a minority voice. This international authority, the Americans suggest, should be under United States chairmanship arid would give the Americans a majoirty vote. This amounts to an American right of veto which the United States. holds to be necessary because she will carry the major financial burden of the Ruhr reconstruction. The French delegates to the SixPower conference returned to Paris during the week-end to consult with the French Government upon its attitude.