Evening star., 1946-08-05
Mo|otov balks
AtCon1promise
0nParisVotinq
Says Plan Would
Upset Decision of
Foreign Ministers
SIAM BECOMES EIGHTH nation
to seek membership in U. N.
Page Az
ey the Associated Press

PARIS, Aug. 5.-Soviet Russia
baked today at a British-Amer-
lean proposal to compromise the
Peace Conference dispute over
voting procedure.
Foreign Minister Molotov told the
Rules Committee the proposal was
objectionable because it was "calcu-
lated to upset the decision of the
Council of Foreign Ministers and
replace it with a new one"
The Council had decided to make
a two-thirds majority necessary for
action in the peace conference
Small nations, paced by Australia
sought simple majority rule The
British then proposed to let the
conference speak for itself, with
two-thirds votes to be regarded as
"a firm recommendation and SIM
pie majorities to carry less weight
with the Foreign Ministers Coun-
Gil. which will have final veto power
over peace conference actions.
Cites Earlier Rejection.
The United States, through Sec
retary of State Byrnes. joined China,
Canada and Norway today in sup
porting the British compromise.
Mr.. Molotov's rejection of the plan
followed a similar stand by White
Russia.
Mr.. Molotov said Mr.. Byrnes' sup
port of the Canadian proposal that
the Council of Foreign Ministers
meet concurrently with the confer
ence took me by surprise" for the
Russian delegation proposed that at
the Council of Foreign Ministers
July 8.
Mr.. Byrnes said that it would be
impossible, Mr. Molotov said. I'VE
can only believe that when the So
Wet delegation presents something
it is senseleSs to Mr.. Byrnes. but
when some one else presents it it is
intelligent"
He added that Mr. Byrnes sup
port of the Soviet stand now makes
me happy
Importance of Question.
''It is obvious from the beginning
how important the question is" Mr.
Molotov declared I'VE think world
public opinion will be watching the
course of this discussion and waiting
impatiently how we decide it.
Mr. Molotov described as incon-
sistent the view taken by the Brit
ish and United States delegations
on the two thirds rule, asserting:
If a delegation says that it is
not bound by certain decisions taken
by the Foreign Ministers Council, it
is possible to suppose that that dele
CATION does not feel bound by other
decisions taken by the Council"
He made reference ito delega-
tions holding one view today and
taking another tomorrow"
There were certain questions on
which agreement was reached and
we feel moral responsibility to vote
for them at the conference" Mr.
Molotov said.
Brynes Presents Argument.
Secretary of State Byrnes, taking
the floor in the Rules Committee
after a long wrangle in which rep
ressntatives of the smaller powers
argued for rule to permit recon-
mendations by simple majority,
said he had decided it was ''the
practical thing to do" to support
the British suggestion.
Mr. Byrnes promised to support
in the Foreign Ministers Council
any decision voted by two-thirds
of the conference, even though he
had voted the other way in the
conference.
He said there were 26 questions
on which the council was not in
agreement-"s some of them very i'm
portant'-and on which members of
the council were not bound to vote
together in the conference
If the other members of the coun-
Gil would make the same offer that
he had, Mr.. Byrnes said, 1T will be
the conference rather than the For
eign Ministers Council which will
write the treaties on the questions
on which the council is not in agree
ment.
Replies to Smaller Powers.
He thus sought to answer the ar
gument of the smaller powers that
as long as the four principal powers
vote together there is little or no
possibility of obtaining a two thirds
vote in the conference against any
decision of the council
It was understood that the French
and British delegations were ready
to 60 along with the United States
in pledging support to the confer
ence's two-thirds majority votes in
the Council.
One important question on which
the Foreign Ministers are not agreed
is the future administration of
Trieste. They also are in disagree
ment on the question Of freedom of
navigation of the Danube and repa-
rations.
Indiana GIIard allied .