Western Envoys Are Again To See Stalin

Wanganui Chronicle, 15 September 1948, Page 5

Western Envoys Are Again To See Stalin

Recd. 7 p.m. London. Sept. 14. The Western envoys in Moscow are making another approach to Mr. Stalin, probably on September 14. It will be their third meeting with the Soviet leader since talks on the raising of the Berlin blockade began in Moscow on July 30.

British commentators emphasise that this is clearly a critical week. The "Daily Mail’s" diplomatic correspondent says that there was an atmosphere of pessimism in London on the night of September 13.

The Foreign Secretary (Mr. Bevin), he adds, is still determined to do the utmost by direct contacts with Moscow but United States Government experts are not hopeful, and it is said that they would prefer to bring the dispute before the U.N.O. Assembly as soon as possible.

"The Times" diplomatic correspondent points out that a new approach to Stalin does not. necessarily indicate a complete breakdown of the Military Governors’ talks in Berlin, but certainly the differences must have been serious enough to convince the Western Governments that it was not worth while continuing until they had been straightened out in the highest quarters.