Russian Proposal Big Four Conference To Consider Agreement On Unification Of Germany

Wanganui Chronicle, 6 November 1950, Page 5

Russian Proposal Big Four Conference To Consider Agreement On Unification Of Germany

LONDON, Nov. 4 (Fee. 7 gm).—The Soviet Union has asked the United States., Britain and France for a meeting of the Big four Foreign Ministers to consider the creation of an all-German constitutional council to unify Germany under one Government, and to consider the demilitarisation of Germany. A telegram to this effect was

received at the Foreign Office today from Sir David Kelly, British Ambassador in Moscow, after he and the American and French Ambassadors had been called separately to the Soviet Foreign Office last night to see M. Gromyko, Deputy-Foreign Minister. Sir David Kelly was handed a note containing a copy of the resolution passed at the recent conference between M. Molotov and the Foreign Ministers of the satellite countries at Prague. The Note concluded by suggesting an early meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, and asked lor an early reply. Similar notes were handed to the United States and French Ambassadors. Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent says there will be consultations and exchanges of views between the British, French and American Governments before replies are sent to the Soviet Union.

The Russian Note proposes a conference "on the question of carrying out the Potsdam Agreement on the unification of Germany and on the demilitarisation.” The Prague resolution, which forms the basis of the Russian note, calls for, firstly, a declaration by the four Powers that there will be no remilitarisation of Ger-

' many; secondly, the removal of all rej strictions on the development of GerImany’s peace-time industries all the ! banning of the manufacture of arms and war material; thirdly, the conclu- ’ sion of a peace treaty with Germany ! followed by the withdrawal within a i year of all occupation forces; fourthj ly, the formation of a Germany Constituent Assembly. Reuter say s the first Western reaction to the Russian’s call for a new Big Four meeting showed scepticism because the proposal was based on a Communist plan drawn up at Prague. A British Foreign Office spokesman pointed out that Britain had previously called the Prague plan "hypocritical." A French Foreign Office spokesman said: “In view of Russia’s support of aggression In Korea and elsewhere, one is entitled to doubt the sincerity of the notives underlying the latest Russian note." The theory in informed quarters in Paris is that the Russians are trying to take advantage of temporary conditions in order to initiate East-West conversations before the West builds up strength to level the approaching Soviet forces. They say the temporary conditions include the American elections, evidence ot Chinese Communist activity in Korea, the division in West German public opinion on participating in the defence of Western Europe, and the recent Eastern European conference at Prague.