Evening star., 1946-07-07
.Mo|otov Seeks
To Block Peace,
Bevin Charges
Russian Accused
Of Backing Out of
PorIey Agreement
By the E,socioted Press

BY the A,soeioted Press
PARIS, July 6.-British For
eign Secretary Ernest Bevin in a
bitter debate tonight charged
that Russia was trying to back
out of her agreement to call
European peace conference July
30 The big four ministers re-
manned deadlocked for a second
day.
The ministers adjourned their
session until Monday afternoon
without having reached an agree
ment on how to convoke the con-
ference and without authorizing the
issuing of invitations.
Mr.. Bevin and Secretary of State
Brynes both told Soviet Foreign
Minister V. NJ Molotov they could
not agree to his proposal that rules
Of procedure be imposed on the
peace parley by the four-power for
eign ministers they said
Charges New Stipulations.
In a 412-hour session, Mr.. Bevin
asserted Mr.. Molotov appeared TO
be stipulating new conditions to
summoning the 2l-Nation confer
ence after Britain, France and the
United States had accepted all the
other Soviet conditions.
The British minister declared he
already had assured his own govern
ment and the Dominions that he
would not agree to anything which
might limit their freedom at the
peace conference
Looking squarely at Mr. Molotov,
Mr.. Bevin demanded that the Soviet
minister fulfill his part of the
bargain on Italian rep
arations, British informants said.
They quoted Mr.. Beyin as saying
Two days ago you agreed on the
date of the peace conference. Now
You are devisins a plan to veto IT
unless We first agree with you cs1
the rules of procedure. In effect,
you are going back on your agree
ment that the conference should
lllCII oIl OulS 20.
Claims Bargain Kept.
"On our part. We agreed on the
same day on reparations from Italy
We kept our part of the bargain, 4"
he said. referring to British Amer
lean consent that Russia receive
some of her s10o,0O0,o0O in repara-
tions from Italy's current industrial
production.
Now you are going back on your
bargains.
The world should better know
this. AT that time not one word
was said about rules of procedure
Both Mr.. Byrnes and Mr.. Bevin
that the foreign min
listers might draft suggestions" on
rules and procedure for the peace
conference. but that the ministers
had no right to lay down hard and
fast rules.
American informants quoted Mr.
Byrnes as telling Mr.. Molotov that
no "self-respecting" representatives
to the conference would accept sucn
Mr.. Byrnes insisted he would not
even discuss any projected rules of
procedure unless it was understood
definitely they were only sugges-
tions which were not binding on the
United States or any other delega-
ton.
Sees Rubber Stamp Action.
Mr.. Molotov, American sources
said, argued that to permit the con-
ference to adopt its own rules would
result in a rubber stamp" conclave.
The Russian foreign minister, ac-
cording to British and American
informants, kept repeating the words
rubber stamp and then turned
the bulk of his arguments against
a French proposal on rules of pro-
cedure, circulated in April, which
included provisions for a steering
committee comprised of delegation
heads.
Mr.. Byrnes and Mr.. Bevin argued
that Letting the conference adopt
its own rules would result in any
thing but a rubber stamp confer
ence, to which Mr.. Molotov replied
that the conference, if left alone,
would turn itself into one
Mr.. Molotov asserted that a steer
Ing committee would take over the
conference work, and urged instead
Russian proposal on procedure
circulated among the other delega-
tions on July which, according to
American sources. contained pro-
vision for steering committee.
Proposal Disavowed.
Mr.. Byrnes reminded Mr.. Molo-
tov of this, to which the Russian re-
piled that this morning in the
deputies meeting Russia announced
she had disavoWed the proposal of
July 5.
Another paragraph Of the July 5
proposal said the conference would
be composed of the five" inviting
nations and Is invited powers, in
dicating that Russia had no objec-
fSee MINISTERS page Az