STALIN ACCUSES U.S. AND BRITISH LEADERS OF WAR-LIKE POLICIES

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

STALIN ACCUSES U.S. AND BRITISH LEADERS OF WAR-LIKE POLICIES

N.Z.P.A—Reuter—Copyright

LONDON, Oct. 28. In an interview with the Moscow newspaper Pravda—the official organ of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party—Mr Joseph Stalin accused British and American leaders of a policy of aggression and preparation for a new war. He added: “But it can only end by the warmongers’ downfall.” He implied, however, that he did not think there would be another war. Mr Stalin alleged that the war instigators did not want agreement with Russia. “ They talked about it,” he said, “ but prevented it so as to prove co-operation impossible.”

Mr Stalin said Mr Winston Churchill was the main instigator of a new war. He had already deprived himself of his nation’s trust and of that of democratic forces throughout the world. “ The horrors of the recent war are still too fresh in people’s memory and public forces favouring peace are too strong for Mr Churchill’s scruples and aggression to overpower them and set a course for a new war,” said Mr Stalin. Asked about the conduct of representatives of the six non-permanent nations on the Security Council, Mr Stalin said: “Those gentlemen are obviously lending support to the policy of aggression and the policy of unleashing a new war." Mr Stalin said he regarded the results of the Security Council discussion on Berlin and the attitude of the British and American representatives as a manifestation of the aggressiveness of the policy of the British, American and French ruling circles. Replying to a question whether an unofficial agreement on Berlin had been reached in Paris, Mr Stalin said the American and British representatives once again declared the agreement null and void.

> An agreement had been reached on August 30 in Moscow between the representatives of Russia, the United States, Britain, and France on the simultaneous carrying out of measures for the removal of communication restrictions and the introduction in Berlin of the German mark of the Soviet zone as the sole currency. This agreement did not infringe on anyone’s prestige. It took account of the interests of , the parlies to it, and guaranteed the possibility of further co-opera-tion, but the Governments of the United States and Britain disavowed their representatives in Moscow, and declared this agreement non-existent. They violated it, deciding to put the questions before the Security Council, where the British and Americans always had an assured majority. Mr Stalin said that recently in Paris, when the Berlin question was being discussed by the Security Council, agreement was reached in unofficial talks before the Security Council voted on the subject. Senor Juan Bramuglia, who had an unofficial talk with Mr Vyshinsky on behalf of the other interested Powers, had in hand an agreed draft solution of the question of Berlin, but the United States and British representatives again declared this agreement non-existent.

‘ The whole point is that the inspirers of the aggressive policy of the United States and Britain do not consider themselves interested in agreement or co-operation with Russia,” said Mr Stalin. “ The policy of agreement with Russia undermines the warmongers’ position and deprives these gentlemen’s aggressive policy of its objective. By their actions in the Security Council, China, Canada Belgium Argentina, Colombia and Chile (the Little Six) also obviously support the policy of aggression. All this can end only with the disgraceful downfall of these instigators of a new war.”