Russia Completely Rejects The Western Proposals

Wanganui Chronicle, 1 June 1949, Page 5

Russia Completely Rejects The Western Proposals

PARIS, May 30.—Russia today rejected the Western Powers plan for a united federal republic in Germany. Mr Vyshinsky, in a “Big Four’ Foreign Ministers’ session lasting three and a-half hours, criticised the plan in detail and completely rejected principles underlying it. Mr Vyshinsky said the proposals were “in conflict with the desires and interests of the German people, who wanted a peace treaty and the end of occupation.’’ He further declared that they were in conflict with the Potsdam and Yalta agreements. The Ministers today resumed their consideration of item one of their four-point agenda—German unity and four-Power control. They began the discussion last Tuesday, when Mr Vyshinsky called for a return to fourPower control and the establishment of an all-German State Council in Berlin, possessing economic and political powers. Mr Vyshinsky turned down out of hand any question of the adherence of the Soviet zone to the Bonn constitution. He said it was based on a violation of democratic principles. The German people, he said, had had no part in its drafting, which had been the result of open pressure by the Western Powers. Mr Vyshinsky said th e Bonn constitution aimed at the dismemberment cf Germany. The Western proposals were nothing but an attempt to impose an order without the participation or consent of the German people, or of the Soviet Union, which had a responsibility under the terms of the Potsdam agreement. PERSECUTION ALLEGED Mr Vyshinsky declared that the real desires of the German people were represented by the constitution drafted by the People’s Council in Berlin. The so-called freedoms referred to by the Western Powers had resulted in the persecution of democratic elements in the Western zones and had given freedom only to elements which had supported the Hitlerite regime. Mr Vyshinsky denounced the Western proposal for majority voting as contrary to the Potsdam agreement. Mr Vyshinsky said the Soviet proposals on the other hand were fully compatible with Potsdam and corresponded to the interests of th e German people. They facilitated the conclusion of a peace treaty and the termination of the occupation regime, and contributed to the promotion of European peace. The Western proposals did not reflect a desire by the three Western Powers to reach a settlement with Russia. Mr Ernest Bevin asked Mr Vyshinsky: “Do you oppose the conception of a German Government?"

j Mr Vyshinsky did not reply directly, but said there were big differences < between the East and West, and not 1 only on what they had said today, but on what he intendeu to say tomorrow. Mr Bevin expressed disappointment .at the Russian rejection of the proposals without having taken any steps to examine them clause by clause, or to see how they would work out in | detail in their application to Germany las a whole. He recalled thai since [Yalta the eventual establishment of a Government in Germany had been .generally accepted, but it would now [appear that this had been rejected by jthe Soviet delegation. He hoped the [Soviet would go over the proposals [again point by point in an honest effort to reach an agreement. They j might, by the foundation of a peacei ful Germany, do something to end the [antagonisms between the East and [West and again make possible collabI oration between them on a basis of [mutual trust. ■ Mr Bevin went into the Western [proposals in detail and dealt with some of Mr Vyshinsky’s criticisms. , Mr Vyshinsky replied that the differences of opinion between them concerned not details but main principles. The chief proposals of the i three Western Governments were ' basically contrary to the Potsdam decisions, he said- and the Soviet Government stood on a basis of those decisions. AMERICAN DEFENCE Mr Dean Acheson (U.S.A.) said that the proposals of the Western Powers provided for increasing freedom for the German Government. The Soviet proposals, on the otner hand, did not provide for a German Government but merely for an administrative body under the Allied Control Council. Mr Acheson said that Mr Vyshinsky could not even pretend that a continuance of Soviet ownership of onethird of the .ndustrial corporations in the Eastern zone was in conformity with the desire of the German people. He said the Bonn constitution had not been drafted in secret, but mostly to public sessions, with the Press present. It had been drafted by the representatives of and approved by 45,000,000 Germans, and envisaged elections for a Federal Government. It was “fully in accord with the just aspirations of the German people.’’ French delegation sources expressed the view that Mr Vyshinsky's criticisms would be more constructive tomorrow. They did not consider Mr Vyhsinsky’s “no" as final. They thought that eventually the four Powers would reach a compromise, bridging the gulf between the East ,and the West.