Evening star., 1945-09-18
MoIotov Voices
Reds Interestin
Italian Colonies
Mediterranean Hold
Sought With Control
Of TripoIitoniu
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
LONDON, Sept. 18.-Foreign
Commissar v. M. Molotov said
today that Russia was interested
In Italian colonies and that there
was "a grain of truth" in the re-
port that Russia wanted sole
trusteeship over the North At
rican colony of Tripolitania.
Speaking at press conference in
the sumptuous Soviet Embassy,
Molotov refused to give specific
Russian demands on Italy, but made
1t clear that Russia was anxious to
obtain foothold on the Mediter-
ranean.
Interest in Eritrea.
I Will not conceal the Soviet in
terest in Eritrea," the Italian colony
bordering Ethiopia, Molotov said.
But at the same time he limited
at Willingness to compromise on
YugoSlavia's claims against Italv bv
declaring that territory which is
Italian in character should remain
Italian.
The Foreign Commissar also said
he b lleved those territories belong
ing to '.pats and Slovenes should be
turned over to Yugoslavia.
Earlier, the Yugoslavs made formal
claims to Venezia Giulia before the
Foreign Ministers of the five leading
Allied nations.
Marshal Tito's emissarv Wire
Premier Edward Karelj. asked that
the Itallan-Yugoslav boundary be
moved westward to a line north of
Monfalcone, depriving Italy of
Trieste, Fiume, cara and the naval
base of Pola. Touchy debate is ex-
pected.
Wang Shih-chieh, Chinese For
elgn Minister, presided today, the
l4th anniversary of the first Jap
anese attack on Manchuria.
Supports Balkan Regime.
Molotov made a long statement
supporting the governments estab-
lished in Romania, Bulgaria and
. Hungary which the United States
and Britain have refused to
recognize.
His statement made it evident
that the Soviet Union intends to
stand firm in support of those gov
ernments which he termed demo-
cratic.
We Soviet people think there are
countries in which the question of
changing governments is not only
ripe but urgent" he said. I'VE do
not think this applies to Bulgaria.
Romania and Hungary"
There was every indication that
MolotoV was referring to the gov
ernment of Greece, although when
asked to name the regimes he be-
heved should be changed, he said:
I'll have to think about it,"
He said the Russians had placed a
memorandum on Greece before the
Council of Foreign Ministers, where
the United States is represented by
Secretary of State James F. Byrnes.
You may rest assured that the
Soviet Union feels that the sooner
an actually democratic government
is set up in Greece, the better it will |
be for Greece and her allies" Molo-
tov said
Defers Comment on Tripolitania.
MolotoV did not expand his grain |
of truth" remarks about Soviet de-
sireS for trusteeship of Tripolitania |
the western part of the large
Italian colony of Libya which lies
just east of the French holdings of
Tunisia.
Il shall defer my comment on
those reports" he said.
Regarding the Balkans he said:
I'VE feel that democratic govern
ments, enjoying the confidence of
the overwhelming majority of peo-
Pile, exist in Romania, Bulgaria and |
Hungary. 1t is the great merit of
these governments that they estab-
lished order and tranquility which
did not exist before they were set
up. The present government in
Romania, as well as the govern
mentS in Bulgaria and Hungary, are
honestly carrying out their armistice
terms. We cannot say this with
regard to the previous Romanian
government (of Gen. RadescU."
Molotov said the Radescu govern
ment mot only consisted of a ma
jority OF anti-Soviet elements who
did not insure normal relations with
the Soviet Union, but they also
Jailed to insure normal order in the
country"
Dubious of Trusteeship.
Russia ousted the Radescu govern
nent in a maneuver which brought |
the present premier, Petru Groza,
to power. The United States and
Great Britain have refused to recog-
:lize Groza.
The Russian commiSSar said his |
government is dubious about how
the principle of collective trustee
ship" of colonies would work out.
since it has never been tried. The
United States proposed this system
for Italian colonies, with the United
Nations rather than a single state
acting as trustees.
ITO those who think that the
principle of collective trusteeship
is good, one may point to certain
other territories (besides the Ital-
ian colonies) to which it might be
applied Molotov said. And this
would make us bolder in the appli-
cation of that principle"
He declined to elaborate. There
was some speculation that he was
thinking of areas in the Pacific
where the United States had made
1t clear that it plans to demand
single-handed control.
Molotov said the Dodecanese Is
lands, off Turkey, cannot be con-
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