Evening star., 1946-09-23
BY the Assoeiofed Press

PARIS, Sept. 23.-The United
States, siding with Russia, aban-
doned today the principle of full
compensation for Allied property
losses in Romania. The move
capsized the whole indemnity
structure of the Peace Confer
ence
Willard Thorp, State Department
economic expert told the Balkan
Finnish Economic Commission the
United States had become convinced
Romania could not support all rep
arations and compensation burdens
placed on her by the original draft
treaty proposals.
Russia has been fighting from the
start for the principle of only one
third compensation for property
losses suffered by private United
Nations individuals and concerns in
defeated countries.
Britain Stands Firm.
France, which joined the United
States in a similar move before the
Italian Economic Commission last
week, declared after Mr.. Thorp's
statement that it reserved the right
to modify its position later.
Britain declared the move had
changed the situation, but implied
it would hold to its original 100 per
cent compenSat ton plan.
The American surprise move came
as an amendment to article "a of
the Romanian draft treaty, which
has stymied the commission for
seven meetings. The United States
did not state what percentage of
losses it would ask in compensation
Mr.. Thorp said full compensation
for damage to United Nations prop
erty would mean Romania would
have to pay $70,000.000. of which
$50, ,000, 900 represented damage to oil
property by Allied bombings or de-
molition by retreating Germans. OF
this amount, he said, $4,000, 900 has
been paid.
However, Mr.. Thorp added, resti-
tuition of loot by Romania would
cost that country S125 900 900, main
tanning Russian occupation troops
1928 .000, 900 and reparations to the
Soviets another $500, 100000. He ar
gued that this total of $3.50 ,000, ,O00-
omitting the total compensation
charges-was enough for small
country such as Romania to pay.
A Romanian spokesman told
meeting Of the commission yester-
day that Allied holdings in Romania
amounted to more than 100000 900
before the war, of which $150,0O0 900
represented oil properties.
The spokesman, I. G. Maurer, Ro-
manian undersecretary of communi-
cations, appeared at the invitation
of the commission, which held
special Sunday session to speed its
work. He said Romania had spent
81 ,000, ,000, 900 on the war after she
broke with Germany and joined the
Allies-including $300,O0O,O0O spent
on Russian troops.
Bevin Seeks Meeting.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secre-
tary Ernest Bevin, who returned to
Paris over the week end after spend
ing two weeks in London conducting
conferences on Palestine, met sep
arately today with French President
Georges Bidault and Soviet Foreign
Minister v. M. Molotov. He sought
to convene the Council of Foreign
Ministers within the next 48 hours,
a British Foreign Ofiice spokesman
said in London. Mr.. Bevin's return
brought the Council back to full
strength for the first time since
August 81, when Mr.. Moiotov went
to Moscow.
Mr. Bevln also proposed the meet
ing when he conferred with Secre-
tary of State Byrnes Saturday.
After rejecting two Yugoslav
amendments, the Italian Political
and Territorial Commission adopted
Article 13, guaranteeing citizenship
in the states concerned" for Ital-
ians living in territory transferred
from Italy.
Former Premier Ivanoe Bonomi,
chairman of the italian Assemblys
Foreign Relations Commission, pre-
saged discord on the question of
Italian colonies by declaring that
If the conference adopted the For
eign Ministers proposal to set aside
for a year the disposition of Italy's
possessions in Africa, Italy should
lSee CONFERENCE, Page A-4J