Evening star., 1946-09-28
III. 5. and Russia NeaI
Showdown on Issv-
|0f Opening Danube
BY the Associated Press

LhhE SOCCEOS, N. 4.-Sept
28.-The United States moved to-
ward a showdown with Russia
today on the explosive issue OF
opening the Danube to free navi-
cation and commerce.
AS the United Nations Economic
and Social Council prepared to re.
sumo discussion today of Yugoslay
and Czech claims for restitution oil
vessels held by American occupation
authorities, the United States stood
accused by Russia of direct interfer-
ence in the internal affairs of coun-
tries involved in traffic on the Dan
ube
The Soviet accusation was made
in a hree-anda -half-hour Council
session yesterday after United States
Delegate John G. Winant proposed
that a conference be held of Russia
America and the Southeast Euro
pean states in Vienna not later than
November to resolve problems now
obstructing the resumption of in
ternational traffic on the Danube.
Will Hold 2I4 Vessels.
Mr. Winant told the Council that
PA Yugoslav and Czech vessels held
by the Americans would be returned
when some working agreement is
reached between the United States
and Soviet occupation authorities
and the governments of interested
states which will permit the unre-
stricted movement of those vessels
throughout the entire course of the
Danube"
Nikolai Feonov of Russia charged
that the United States in refusing to
return the vessels under this sitl1a-
tion was putting pressure on both
Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia in
order to obtain her aims in South
eastern Europe"
He accused the United States of
presenting an 'ultimatum" to these
two countries, declaring that it was
like putting pistol at a persons s
head"
o~hS htLlluuC oHUcCOInInY.
Such an attitude, the Soviet dele
gate said, was "unbecoming a coun-
try which claims to be the cham
pion of democracy"
He accused the United States OF
proposing the Vienna conference as
a means of preventing Yugoslavia
and Czechoslovakia from obtaining
their demands before the Economic
and Social Council.
Before the Council were four reso-
lutlons. Three of them involved
demands for the restitution of DAN
ubian vessels held by the United
States and Russia.
Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia
asked the Council to recommend, to
the United States the return of
their vessels without delay. Greece
merely asked for the restitution of
Greek vessels, but declared they
were being held by Russia.
The fourth proposal is the United
States request for the Vienna con-
ference.
The United States Stipulation.
The United Staes resolution Stip-
ulated as a basis for discussion in
the proposed conference that the
Council recommend that commercial
traffic be resumed on the Danube
from Regensburg in Bavaria to the
Black Sea; that security from seiz-
ure be guaranteed to all ships, their
crews and their cargoes, and that all
vessels on the Danube Except Ger
mani be allowed to sail under their
national flags.
Mr.. Winant told the Council that
United States military transport au-
thorities in Vienna had offered to
discuss with Soviet transport au-
thorities a working agreement be-
tween the two which would permit
traffic on the whole river and in
clude restitution of all vessels held
now either in the United States or
Soviet zones to their national flags.
He explained that the United
States Government had been try
ing unsuccessfully ever since Pots
dam to work out an agreement for
freedom on the Danube but that
Russia had refused to go into it.