SECRECY STILL OBSERVED

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22674, 30 July 1945, Page 5

SECRECY STILL OBSERVED

POTSDAM TALKS NEARING END AUSTRALIA DISSENTS FROM ULTIMATUM POSTPONEMENT OF KING’S SPEECH LONDON, July 29 There are indications that the Big Three conference may end on Tuesday or ednesday and that the drafting of a momentous proclamation continues, says Reuter’s Potsdam correspondent. The same secrecy shrouds Mr Attlee and Mr Bevin as that which screened Mr Churchill and Mr Eden. The leaders of the three nations are believed to have met twelve times but no inkling of what has happened at the discussions or even of what questions were debated has come from the conference. An American Press correspondent says that with the end of the conference in sight interest is being intensified in the final communique, in which will be revealed the framework for future collaboration. There are no authoritative grounds for anticipating that the Far Eastern war will be mentioned specifically, and decisions affecting military- affairs will almost certainly be kept from the public. The correspondent adds that there is so far no ripple of official reaction to Dr. Evatt’s announcement that Australia is unable to subscribe to the Potsdam ultimatum because it is too lenient and Australia was not consulted. It is believed inevitable that the Australian dissent from the tripartite efforts to induce the Japanese warlords to come to terms will soon be drowned in a din of protests throughout Eur- \ ope which will follow the announcement of the Big Three’s decisions. There are two sides to every- question, and whatever Mr Attlee, President Truman and Generalissimo Stalin decide, the losers will set up a storm of protest. Mr Morrison will be leader of the House of Commons. The State opening of Parliament with the King’s speech will probably be postponed from August 8 until the middle of the month. The principal reason is to give Mr Attlee more time to complete the business of the Potsdam Conference, which is reported to be going well. A correspondent says the conference may end on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. The House of Commons will still meet on Wednesday to elect a Speaker. The King received the Ministers of the old and new Governments at Buckingham Palace. The Ministers of Mr Churchill’s Government went in first and handed in their seals of office. After the departure of the retiring Minsters the new Ministers received the seals from the King and took the oath of office at a meeting cf the Privy Council. Mr Attlee, Mr Bevin, Mr Greenwood, Mr Morrison, Dr Dalton, Sir William Jowitt and Sir Stafford Cripps were present. Mr Morrison and Sir Stafford Cripps did not receive seals, as the offices of Lord President of the Council and President of the Board of Trade do not carry them. The King was photographed with Mr Attlee in the Palace grounds after the meeting. * A crowd gathered outside the Palace and watched the Ministers leave. There were cheers for Mr Attlee, who raised his hat in acknowledgement of the greeting. He left by car with a police escort, called at No. 10 Downing Street and afterwards left for the airfield where a Skymaster plane was waiting to take him to Potsdam for the Big Three Conference. Mr Bevin left in another plane.