THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1949. POSSIBILITIES IN PARIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27090, 26 May 1949, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1949. POSSIBILITIES IN PARIS

With thoughts in mind of past conferences of the four Foreign Ministers, too much is not likely to be expected from the meeting now in progress in Paris. Nevertheless, after a long interval, Russia has supplied the gesture which makes it possible for a meeting to be held, and so an opportunity has been created for an agreement to be reached on how to deal with Germany. At the worst, the lifting of the blockade could 'prove to have no political significance, its removal being determined simply by the fact that it was not effective and that it was uneconomic from the Russian point of view. In this case the Paris meeting could be used for the delivery of a new Communist manifesto addressed to an assured, world-wide audience, and especially to the German people. It would be over-cynical to suggest that the Russian overtures have no other purpose. But it .is certain that Mr Vyshinsky knows perfectly well what the Kremlin wants, and here he has an advantage. If there is any sign of a weakening of the unity between the protagonists of the West, he will take the initiative in the proceedings and win, at least, a diplomatic triumph. ! And the possibility cannot be dismissed that such a weakening will not reveal itself. It was reported that as late as Saturday the Foreign Ministers of Great Britain, the United States and France had still to settle several differences of opinion. These were stated in official circles to be “not serious,” yet the deputies had tried for a week to overcome them. It is no coincidence that on the eve of the Paris meeting General de Gaulle should have delivered one of his pronouncements on French, affairs. His words, show that, although France has agreed tc the Bonn Constitution and to the Ruhr Statute, there is still a considerable body of opinion opposed to these documents. To that extent there is a rift between France and Great Britain and the United States, and common ground between France and Russia. This is not to suggest- that the Foreign Ministers of. the latter countries will form a common front, but at the first Moscow meeting after the war French differences with the Western Allies were, in effect, favourable to Russia. Since then, however, France has made many advances, and has now guarantees of support which should go far to removing deep-rooted prejudice. and suspicion, especially when the issues are of such cardinal importance. 1 Granted French conformity, the attitude of the Western Allies will obviously be to uphold and pursue their recent successful policy. There is still another factor to be considered, and that is Ger-many-itself. Here two questions may be posed: What do the Germans really think about the Federal Republic of Western Germany, and what importance can be attached to the railway strike in Berlin and to the anti-Communist demonstration at the elections in the Eastern zone?