French Crisis Threat Over Six-Power Plan For Western Germany

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26793, 9 June 1948, Page 5

French Crisis Threat Over Six-Power Plan For Western Germany

New Zealand Press Association—Copyright Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, June 8. The plan for a single Government in Western Germany and international control of the Ruhr, drawn up by the British, French, United States, and Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) at the Six-Power conference in London, threatened to provoke a crisis in both France and Germany last night. The Russians in Berlin are expected to boycott the plan immediately and the German leaders of several parties have already declared their dissatisfaction. In France, the Foreign Minister, M. Georges Bidault, is expected to have a hard fight to obtain French ratification, and, according to the Paris correspondent of the Daily Herald, it may be made a question of confidence by the French Government. Both de Gaullists and French Communists, he adds, with several groups in between, oppose the plan and are attacking the Government for “ agreeing to the rebirth of German, military might,” and thereby endangering French security. .