REPORT ON BALKANS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26916, 30 October 1948, Page 7

REPORT ON BALKANS

“UTTERLY UNTRUSTWORTHY”

MR VYSHINSKY CONDEMNS COMMITTEE N.Z.P.A.—Copyright. PARIS, Oct. 28.

The Soviet delegate, Mr Andrei Vyshinsky, attacked the long report of the Balkans Committee in the United Nations Political Committee today, describing it as “garbage that has to be thrown away.” He called the witnesses “ completely and utterly untrustworthy.” Mr Vyshinsky shouted angrily in the face of Mr Hector McNeil (Britain): “You told the House of Commons there was reliable information that General Markos (the guerrilla leader) had threatened the United Nations observers; then you had to admit the document had been concocted by counter-espionage spies.” ‘ Mr Vyshinsky quoted Mr Ernest Bevin as telling Mr Manuilsky (the Ukrainian Foreign Minister) at the Segurity Council meeting in London in 1946 that “the press is not for information—it is for misinformation.” “We have the echo of that to plague, us now,” said Mr Vyshinsky.

He said the Australian reservations in the report were interesting and significant, as Australia could hardly be expected, as a member of the British Commonwealth, to have any particular sympathy with Greece's northern

neighbours or with the Soviet Union. These reservations made it clear, in Australia’s view, that it was useless to reach any categorical conclusions on the Balkans situation based either on the reports of observers who had no access to three of the four countries concerned and no direct observations of events or on witnesses brought forward by only one country. Mr Vyshinsky condemned the Balkans Committee for abrogating to itself functions which the United Nations had not given it. He said its job, as made clear by the Australian member, was to mediate and pacify, not to investigate. The document it had issued was “ legally intoleraole,” and it contained “vicious, shameful, and distorted material.” Mr Vyshinsky said that the “mad demands ” of the Tsaldaris Government for Northern Epirus in Albania and the Rhodope Valley in Bulgaria were the real facts threatening Balkan and world peace. “ The responsibility for the Balkans situation rests squarely on the Greek Government, which cannot conceal its territorial greed and on other Governments which connive at this covetousness,” said Mr Vyshinsky. “If these demands do not constitute an aggressive policy I should like to know what does. If they are not a threat to peace, I should like to know what is.” Mr Vyshinsky then proposed that the United Nations order the withdrawal of foreign troops from Greece. He submitted a four-point plan suggesting that the General Assembly:

1. Should call on the Greek Government to guarantee the removal of discrimination against nationals of Albania, Yugoslavia, and Bulgaria resident in its territory 2. Should call on the Governments of the four interested countries to observe existing frontier conventions and to negotiate new ones where necessary. 3. Should order the withdrawal of all foreign' troops from Greece 4. Should discontinue the United Nations Special Commission on’ the Balkans.

Mr Vyshinsky opposed the proposal of the other four Big Powers calling for a continuation of the Special Commission’s work “ The" Soviet delegation will take all the steps in its power to oppose its passage, as it considers it to be a shame and a disgrace to United Nations authority.” The Greek delegate, Mr Panayotis Pipinelis, asked what more overwhelming evidence of guilt could there be than the refusal of Bulgaria and Yugoslavia to accept the Special Commission’s conclusion. It showed their doubts as to the truth of their statements and a profound sense of guilt