THREE GROUPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27391, 17 May 1950, Page 7

THREE GROUPS

Atlantic Treaty Defences MINISTERS’ DISCUSSION NZPA—Copyright Rec. 10 p.m. LONDON, May 16. The Foreign Ministers-of the 12 Atlantic Treaty nations at their fourday London meeting, which began yesterday, are reported to be discussing a plan for dividing their defence forces into three groups with one main defence role being given to each, says the Daily Mail. Britain, under the plan, would scrap her heavy naval units and concentrate on building a great anti-submarine fleet and the largest force of jet fighters in the world. France and the Continental countries would provide the armies, which would be equipped with tanks, guns and lorries made in America. The United States would provide as large a long-range bomber force as she did in the last war, composed mainly of atom bomb carriers, and would also provide battleships and large aircraft carriers. The Daily Telegraph says that the Ministers will consider a proposal to strengthen the treaty Powers’ defence measures by setting up a three-man committee to integrate defence arrangements. The committee will not be a new high command, and there is no foundation for a report that General Omar Bradley has been chosen to head a new “ supreme defence command,” the paper said. The countries participating are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Holland, Norway, Portugal and the United States. *

A communique issued at the end of the first day’s discussions said that the 12 Foreign Ministers had reviewed progress over the past year and had exchanged views on world political developments. The Ministers will meet today to give detailed consideration to reports submitted by the Defence, Financial and Economic Committees.