GERMAN UNITY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27093, 30 May 1949, Page 5

GERMAN UNITY

Western Powers Present Five-Point Plan FOREIGN MINISTERS’ COUNCIL New Zealand Press Association—Copyright Rec. 10 p.m. PARIS, May 28. The British Foreign Secretary, Mr Ernest Bevin, in the Council of Foreign Ministers to-day introduced a joint Western plan for German unity. The proposals consist of five main points:— 1. German unification in accordance with the Bonn Constitution, enabling the Soviet zone to join in. 2. —-Freedom of persons, including freedom of movement, freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention, freedom of speech, press, radio, freedom for all democratic political parties, and free elections. 3. —An occupation statute on a quadripartite basis in conjunction with the accession of the Eastern zone States — the plan explains that this statute would terminate the Military Government. 4. —Allied reservations, including a provision for the limitation or prohibition of certain industries and the delivery of capital equipment as reparations. (No reparations from current production or stock are required). 5. —A commission to exercise quadripartite control. The commission would make decisions by a majority vote except in exceptional circumstances to be mutually agreed upon.

The first reaction of Mr Andrei Vyshinsky (Russia) to the proposals was a complaint that at first glance they appeared to be one-sided and unsuitable for four-Power discussions. He said the first impression was that the three Western Powers were confronting him with a fait accompli. He promised to give detailed comments later on what he considered weaknesses in the plan. M. Robert Schumann (France) said: “This is not a modus vivendi for a split in Germany, but a programme for a United Germany.” Mr Dean Acheson (United States) said: “This document was not framed with. the idea of concealing the real issues, but for bringing them out clearly.” In presenting the plan, Mr Bevin told tne Council that it was designed to “ accelerate her incorporation into the comity of nations.” He said the Western Powers had no intention of organising Germany against the Soviet Union. They proposed to accomplish the restoration of the political and economic unity of Germany. Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent says Mr Vyshinsky’s comments must be regarded as preliminary, but he delivered a sufficiently clear advance notice that Moscow will not swallow the Western proposals whole. Acceptance of the Western plan would amount to a complete revolution in the present structure of the Russian zone now organised on political and economic lines very much like those existing in any Communist State in Eastern Europe.