Evening star., 1946-11-09
Big 4May Drop
Trieste if Talks
Bring Accord
Italy and YugosIovio
Seen Making Efforts
To Break Deadlock
By the Associated Press

NEW YORK, Nov. 9.-Top
western diplomats predicted to-
day that the Big Four Foreign
Ministers will readily scrap their
whole elaborate plan for inter-
Matchmaking Trieste if Italy and
Yugoslavia can. produce a new
formula for settling their bitter
border dispute between them
selves.
Rome reported a possible visit
by Italian Foreign Minister Pietro
Nenni to Belgrade and several other
developments presaged vigorous ef-
forts at a real break in the east
west deadlock over the Adriatic
port city. One of the latest was a
decision by the foreign ministers
here to bypass the Trieste problem
and go on to other issues. This al
lows time for hopeful attempts al
ready under way to bring about
a solution, diplomatic authorities
said.
Bevin Assails Molotov.
The decision was reached last
night at a four-hour and 40-minute
session of the Big -Four Council in
which Britain's Foreign Secretary
Bevin virtually accused Soviet For
eign Minister Molotov of holding in
contempt" the decisions of the
Paris Peace Conference. Mr.. Molo-
tov denied the charge.
The question arose over a rela-
lively little known issue having to
do with restoration of property sto-
len from Jews in wartime Romania.
The Paris Peace Conference by a
two-thirds vote recommended a
restoration clause in the Romanian
peace treaty. Mr.. Bevin and Secre-
tary of State Byrnes backed 1t and
Mr.. Molotov objected.
According to western power in
formants at the meeting, Mr.. Bevin
told Mr.. Molotov last night that
to strike the article from the treaty
would be to treat the Paris Con-
ference almost with contempt. Mr..
Molotov said he did not hold the
Paris decisions in contempt, that he
opposed the provision because it was
unnecessary, the problem being cov-
cred elsewhere.
Danube Stalemate Remains.
By-passing the Trieste issue
plunged Mr.. Byrnes, French Deputy
Foreign Minister Couve de Murville,
Mr.. Molotov and Mr.. Bevin into an
other old stalemate which the Big
-Four has battled through in every
peacemaking session leading up to
the one here.
The issue is that of free naviga-
ton of the Danube. The United
States and Britain want it; Russia
opposes writing it into the Balkan
peace treaties.
Mr.. Bevin said he did not really
care whether a free Danube was
guaranteed in the treaties or in some
other way, but that Britain would
insist on it.
This issue like all others in the
Romanian treaty with one excep-
ton was passed over for lack Of
agreement. The one exception pro-
vided for U. N. members to seize as
reparations any Romanian artistic
properties within their countries.
There was no Big Four session to-
day. Mr.. Byrnes planned to take
Senators Connally, Democrat, Of
Texas and Vandenberg, Republican,
of Michigan and Warren Austin,
American delegate to the U. N, to
the Army Notre Dame football
game.
Trieste Answer Hoped For.
Here and abroad, however, dip
lomats were active on the No. l
current peace treaty problem and
hopes were high that these might
produce an answer to the Trieste
riddle. Both Italy and Yugoslavla
claim the Strategically located Ad-
riatic port.
Neither of the smaller countries
likes the big power solution of an
international territory, to which
Britain, America, France and Rus
sia have already agreed-but until
the last few days they had no al
tentative plan to offer.
Then the Yugoslavs came up with
a proposal that they would be will
ing to let Italy have Trieste if they
got the city of Gorilla, to the north.
The Italians said that was not an
acceptable deal, but made it plain
they wanted to keep the talk going.
In New York last night Ambassar-
dor Alberto Tarchiani, Italian envoy