Evening star., 1946-05-21
Text of Bynes Report to Nation on Paris Conference
BY the Associated Press

ext OF Byrnes
BY the Associated Press
| The teTt of the radio report
last night by Secretary OF State
ByrneS on the Paris conference
Of Big Four foreign ministers
folloWS:
I wish to talk with you about tn
meeting of the Council of Foreigl
!; Ministers at Paris. On that mission
l was accompanied by Senator Con
!, nally. chairman of the Senate For
eign Relations Committee, the Sen
ator Vandenberg, a Republican mem
Der of that committee. 1 canno
adequately express by appreciation
of their wise counsel and loyal co
operation Senator Connally wa
exceedingly helpful. Senator Van
denberg by his wholehearted coop
Grafton let the world know that re
gardlesS of how much he and hi
party may disagree with the admin
lstration about domestic issues, il
our relations with foreign govern
ments We have but one policy, tht
policy of the United States.
Building the foundations of a peo
pies peace IN War-shattered worle
is a long, hard process. A people!
peace cannot be won by flashing
diplomatic triumphs 1t requires pa.
tlence and firmness, tolerance ane
understanding. We must not try tc
impose our will on others, but VIZ
must make sure that others do no
get the impression they can impose
their will on us.
Fundamental Points Known.
Ihe progress made towards peace
at the Paris meeting of the Counci
OF Foreign Ministers was disappoint.
ingly small in light of the expecta
tlons we had when it was agreed al
Moscow last December that the
Council should resume the work
which had been interrupted by oul
inability to agree at London last
/ September.
But the progress toward peace al
Paris was infinitely greater than J
expected when I suggested that the
Council should meet in Paris prepar.
atory to the prompt calling of q
peace conference. The Ministers die
come to Paris seriously intending tc
pave the way for a peace conference
We differed considerably on a mum.
Der of fundamental points, but WE
did come to know what those funda.
mental points were and the varying
/ weight the different Ministers at.
tached to those points.
We found that there were three
basic issues outstanding on the Ital-
ian treaty: Reparations, the colonies
and the Itallan-Yugoslav boundary
particularly as it concerns the Ital-
ian city of Trieste.
In summarizing the significance
OF these basic issues, l shall de-
llberately seek to avoid intensifying
the conflict of viewpoints.
Reparations Position Simple.
Our position on reparations is
simple. To enable the Italian ma
ton to live, we have already ad-
vanced directly or indirectly $780,
100000 We should prefer in the
interest of peace to forget about
reparatlons. But We are willing tc
agree to limited reparations, pro-
vlded these do not deprive Italy OF
resources necessary to enable hel
ance.
II Italy requires help from others
she will look to us. And we made
it clear we are not going to advance
millions of dollars to enable Italy te
produce goods to be paid as repara-
tons to any of our Allies.
The Soviet government has in.
sisted on reparations for itself Of
s1O0OO0,000. We have pointed ou,
certain sources from which repara.
tlons can be taken which would moi
seriously affect the Italian econom,
and which would yield substantially
the amount which the Soviets claim
But the Soviet government is un-
willing to count what she will Obtain
from some of these sources a.
reparations.
1 For example she insists that some
OF the naval ships surrendered by
Italy to the navies of the United
States and Britain be shared with
her. She declares the ships are wal
booty. But war booty belongs tt
the nation capturing it. The Sovie,
Union has never shared with Allied
nations any war booty captured by
her. We are willing to give to hel
IN lieu of reparations some of the
naval ships surrendered to us. She
demands the ships but refuses tt
consider them as substitute fol
reparations. She insists upon beine
paid out of current production. We
would have to finance the produc.
ton. and therefore 1 refused tr
agree to the proposal.
Differences regarding the colonies
have been narrowed but not resolved
The Soviet government receded from
It's claim for trusteeship of Tripoli
tanla. first in favor of ioint
Soviet-1talian trusteeship and later
IN favor of an italian trusteeship al
originally proposed by the French.
Compromise Rejected.
Our position has always been tha
the colonies should be placed under
United Nations trusteeship, havins
as its objective the welfare of tht
inhabitants and their independence
at the earliest practicable date. The
trusteeship council should appoint
neutral administrator responsible tt
1t, thus avoiding all possible rivalry
between the powers Libya ane
Eritrea should be granted independ.
ence in 10 years.
1t is open to question whether
Italy is in an economic position tt
assume the responsibility of trustee
ship and whether the return of tn,
colonies to Italy as trustee take
:, sufficiently into account the wishe
of the inhabitants. For these reason
it was with considerable reluctance
that I indicated my willingness t,
yield to the French suggestion of al
italian trusteeship If that woul,
; bring about an agreement in tn
Council, and if it were agreed tina