Evening star., 1946-05-12
Italian Peace Treaty.
Sole Bar 10 Accord in
Paris, Reds Indicate
BY the Assoeiofsd Prsxs

BY the Asseeiaisd Prsss
PARIS, May 11.-Russia, max
Ing it clear that the only stumb-
ling block to accord apparently
lay in the snarled Italian treaty.
insisted again today before the
deadlocked four-power Foreign
Ministers Council that agree
ment on all treaties with former
Axis satellites must precede a
general European peace confer
ence.
American sources said after to-
days second meeting of the minis
tiers Of the United States, Great
Britain, France and Russia that
Russian Foreign Minister Molotov
regarded the Italian treaty as an
obstacle, and that he did not think
the ministers harbored fundamen-
tai differences concerning the Bal
kan treaties.
Russia still was at variance with
the United States and Great Brit
ain, the sources said, over italian
reparations and colonies, and the
disputed port of Trieste, sought
by both Italy and Yugoslavia.
Byrnes Urges Farley Date.
Secretary of State Byrnes urged
Mr.. Molotov once more today, the
American informants said, to agree
on a specific date for convoking the
21-nation peace conference.
When Mr.. Molotov declared that
the ministers first should agree on
all points, Mr.. Byrnes replied that
If the Russian thesis were accepted
then anyone could block the peace
conference simply by disagreeing
on any one point. After an incon-
elusive exchange of arguments on
this point, the council adjourned
until Monday morning.
Mr.. Molotov pointed out that the
Russians reversed their stand yester-
day by agreeing to French proposal
that Italy be named sole trustee
under the United Nations, of all her
pre-Fascist colonies. He said also
he did not favor a British proposal
for British trusteeship of Cyrenaica
in Northern Africa.
TT rnrooinc fo ha caao t1oa
added, what could be done about
Trieste and Italian reparations.
The Soviet delegation left the i'm
preston, the American sources said,
that whereas Trieste and reparations
were fundamental problems, Italian
colonies would be added to the list
II Great Britain kept pressing for
control OF Cyrenaica.
French Plan Accented.
During the morning session, Mr..
Byrnes said the United States would
accept the French plan for Italian
reparations, giving the Russians
s100, 900 900, provided payments were
restricted to italian assets in Bal
kan countries now occupied by the
Russian army, italian naval and
merchant vessels and excess indus-
trial equipment in former war fac
tories.
The American suggested, inform
ants said, that Russia might choose
the Italian ocean liners Vulcania and
Satufnia, now in American hands,
which he said were valued at $25,-
100000 each, thus together making
up half the amount of reparations
to Russia.
Mr.. Molotov then disputed Mr..
Byrnes' evaluation Of the ships and
OF Italian assets in the Balkans, the
sources said. He claimed also that
naval vessels were war booty" an
portioned among the victorious pow-
ers as such and did not constitute
reparations.
Mr.. By1nes was said to have re-
piled that war booty could be
claimed only by those who captured
it and that the Russians had taken
no Italian naval vessels.
Bevin Supports Byrnes.
British Foreign Secretary Bevin
supported Mr.. Byrnes' viewpoint on
the naval vessels, and seconded him
In opposing Soviet move to obtain
reparations from current produc-
ton in Italy, British sources said.
Mr.. Bevin was reported as saying
1taly's debt for relief work carried
out among the italian people by the
British and Americans must be sat
isf1ed before reparations were paid.
The ministers did not discuss the
question of the further demand of
s200, 100000 in italian reparations
on behalf of Greece, Albania and
Yugoslavia. Russia originally had
requested s3O0,000,000 with two
thirds going to the three Balkan
nations.
One responsible American source
said that if those countries were
awarded any italian territorial hold
1ngs, the American attitude was
that they should not expect any
further dollar reparations. The
Soviet reaction to this attitude was
not learned. 1t was not disclosed
when the question OF the repara-
tions for Greece, Albania and Yugo-
slavia would be discussed.
Seek to Narrow Discord.
t MIR. Molotov presided over the
morning session, which was devoted
to discussion of the reparations
Issue as the ministers sought to
narrow the area of disagreement
on the Italian treaty.
Yesterday Russia agreed to the
French plan to make Italy sole
trustee under the United Nations
Of her colonies, and to the American
proposal for establishing an inter-
allied war criminals commission in
Italy to operate for a certain limited
time after the treaty is effected.