Evening star., 1946-08-13
.MolotovFdvors
Italy
As Big Power
Fights Trieste Delay
And Says De Gosperi
Evoded Bosic Problems
BY the Assoc,oied Press

PARIS, Aug. 13.-Soviet For
eign Minister Molotov today told
the Paris Peace Conference that
Fascist Italy bears a tremendous
responsibility" but that docs
not mean that Italy should lose
her Importance as a power in
the Mediterranean"
Speaking in response to pleas for
leniency expressed Saturday by Pre-
mier Alcide de Gasperi of Italy, Mr..
Molotov paid tribute to the historic
services rendered by Italy" He said
the Soviet people were confident
for the future of Italy as a great
country"
He added, however, that Mr.. de
Gasperi's address was an attempt
to evade the fundamental problems
of Italy's democratic resurgence"
The head of the Italian delega-
ton failed to condemn Fascism. He
failed to make a single remark
against the work of Mussolini," Mr.
Molotov declared.
Romania Asks ReparatiOns.
Later, Romania, first of the Soviet
conquered German satellites to ad-
dress the Peace Conference, pro-
posed that she receive reparations
from her former Allies. Germany
and Hungary.
Georgia Tatarescu, Romanian
Vice Premier. also lauded Russia S
claims of $500 100000 reparations
against Romania as moderate, and
opposed proposals of the Western
Allies on economic phases of the
draft treaty of peace for Romania.
Tatarescue in his speech declared: :
On the subject of reparations to
be paid to the Allies and associated
powers, we could not remain silent
on the fact that the Soviet Union,
which-more than any other power
had the right to exact complete
reparations from Romania, none
theless confined itself to the de-
mands of only one-fifth of the
damage 1t sustained by her action.
1T would, therefore. be strange
to see the other Allied and asso-
ciated powers, onto whose terri
tories Romania did not carry war,
treat her in way that is all the
harder because her economy has
become aggravated to the point that
justified the gravest Worries
Tatarescu applauded the terri
torial clauses of the Romanian
treaty. in effect renouncing all Ro-
manian claims to Bessarabia and
Southern Dobrudja, which Russia
and Bulgaria respectively received.
The treaty restored to Romania
Northern Pennsylvania. which Hitler
had given Hungary in 1910.
Opposes Year Delay.
The Russian Foreign Minister said
Mr.. de Gasperi's suggestion for a
years delay in completing the peace
terms, especially with relation to the
future of Trieste, can meet with no
support from this conference.
He said Italy's demand for post
ponement was an attempt ito ex-
plot Emergencies in the views be-
tween the Allies and based on the
hope that lit will be possible to up
set certain compromises of the For
eign Ministers Council"
In passing, he also bespoke op-
position to the suggestion that final
settlement for Italy await the Ger
man peace terms, declaring: Peace
with Germany can have no bearing
whatever on Trieste"
Recalls Shift to Democracy.
Mr.. Molotov recalled that it was
only after the Russian victory at
Stalingrad and the Allied victories
in North Africa and Southern Italy
that Italy got out of the war and
began to reorganize on a demo-
cratic basis"
Mr.. Molotov charged that certain
powers are trying to gain power in
the Mediterranean at the expense of
Italy and France" and said both
(See CONFERENCE, Page Ala