SEPARATE AREAS OF INFLUENCE

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23315, 26 September 1945, Page 5

SEPARATE AREAS OF INFLUENCE

Trend In European Settlement Balkans Issue Vital By Telegrapn—N Z Press Assn.—Copyright (7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 24. Long-term supply arrangements for Austria, a proposal for an emergency regime for European waterways and the acceleration of the repatriation of Soviet nationals were discussed by the Foreign Ministers’ Council, which met twice to-day. The diplomatic correspondent of “The Times” says that the Balkans shadow still lies heavily across the work of the Council. The Ministers to-day tried to leave it behind and went on to other items, including American proposals for internationalising the Rhine, Elbe. Oder and Danube Rivers and the Kiel Canal, but they were soon involved in the same kind of difficulty as prevented agreement over the Balkan treaties. They were brought un against the fundamental question whether Europe must fall into strongly defended spheres of influence, or whether by a reversal of present tendencies a nev. atteni'U to treat it as a whole could be made. The Council did not try to reach a permanent settlement, regarding the rivers, but sought only to agree on provisional administrations. The Americans favoured ' a broad inter-Allied administration for all the rivers. Russia believed that for all practical purposes, it would be better to leave the rivers under the nresent military commands, with the Kiel Canal presumably under the Allied Control Commission. There seems something to be said for this provisional arrangement, but as it was suggested at. a time when the Balkans controversy was still acute, it appeared to intensify the division of Europe. The discussion was not concluded. The correspondent expresses the view tunt th° whole success of the conference depends on a broad agreement on tb° Balkan treaties. The course of the discussions will decide whether or not the area is to be regarded as an exclusive Soviet bloc, strnnelv armed and almost wholly dependent economically on Russia, but little or no nroaross was made toward an understanding.