Evening star., 1947-06-20
|Beyiin Rules Out
Delay inAction
|
|0nAmericanAid
Refuses to Be Party
To Slowing Europe's
Recovery Program
By the Asssoeiated Press

LONDON, June British
Foreign Secretary Bevin vows
that in launching cooperative
effort for European economic re-
coyery under Secretary of State
Marshall's plan he intends to
brook no delays such as those
which stymied the recent For
Ieign Ministers Conference in
Moscow.
Eagerly awaiting response from
Russia to a joint British-French
request that the Soviet Union par
ticipate in drafting an aid-to-Europe
program, Mr.. Bevin declared in the
House of Commons last night that
"the guiding principle I shall follow
in any talks I have on this matter
will be speed"
Il spent six weeks in Moscow try
ing to get settlement" he asserted.
II shall not be a party to holding
up the economic recovery of Europe
by the mess of procedure, terms of
reference or all the paraphernalia
which may go with it.
The reply of the Soviet govern
ment is awaited" he continued, "and
the House will understand that until
it is received there is nothing I can
usefully say on the subject today.
I know the great interest of the
House in the United States proposals
and / wish very much it was pos
sible to say more about the position
Britain, France to Go Ahead.
The British press gathered from
the tome of MFR Bevins speech that
Britain and France definitely in
tended to go ahead with work under
the suggestions made two weeks ago
by Gen. Marshall-either with or
without Russian participation.
Gen. Marshall said in a speech
at Harvard University that future
American dollar aid to Europe
should be based on a continental
program outlining the economic re-
quirements of the situation drawn
up by "a number, if not all Euro
pean naClOfS.
Russian sources in London said
Soviet Ambassador Georgi Zarubin
left London secretly three or four
days ago to discuss the. Marshall
proposals in Moscow
Mr.. 8evin's cry for speed won
general Endorsement from the press,
except the Communist Daily Work
er, which called it an 'ultimatum. .
All noted the earnestness with which
Mr.. Bevin described the Marshall
plan as a chance the British shall
not miss and Anthony Eden's de-
scription of it as the second
chance that SO rarely comes"
Reply Awaited MomentariIy
The comparatively late hour at
which Mr.. Bevin made his speech,
a major pronouncement on foreign
affairs, was taken generally as an
indication that he expected !. the
Russian reply at any hour and was
even hopeful that it might come
before or during the address.
But the absence of an answer did
not deter him from denouncing
Communist maneuyers in Soviet
dominated Central and Eastern
European states, and he served
oblique notice on the Russians that
the Western world never would
stand for suppression of liberty.
IF there is to be conflict be-
tween ideologies," he declared, II
shall regret it, but if it is forced
upon us we must face it.
'I am quite certain that if there
lis a desire to interfere with the free
expressions and all the other things
| that go to make up the soul of man,
lit will fail again. I know all the
theoreticians, I have read all OF
them, and in the end I rely on the
awkward squad who don't obey
| them"
Speaking for the opposition, Mr.
Eden's attack was even stronger
He declared that events in Eastern
Europe were 'unhappily undermin-
| ing the confidence between victors
in the war" and "paralyzing the
continents economic recovery