Evening star., 1947-06-28
Russia Reported
Urging Specific
U. 5. Plan onAid
Success of Conference
In Puris in Doubt,
French Sources Say
BY the Assoeia.ed Press

PARIS, June 28.-The Russian
position of the Marshall "aid-
Europe" plan appeared to be
shaping up today at the three
power Foreign Ministers Confer
ence, and indications were that
it might involve a request for
more definite information.
Because of a news blackout i'm
posed by British request, official
sources were silent as British For
eign Secretary Bevin, French For
eign Minister Bidault and Soviet
Foreign Minister Molotov assembled
for their second session in the French
Foreign Ministry's ornate Hall of
Parrots at pm. 11 am. EDIT.
A gloomy atmosphere pervaded
both British and French quarters
after a private conference between
Mr.. Bevin and Mr.. Bidault, prior to
today's meeting.
French sources reported the pre-
liminary meeting of the British and
French foreign secretaries, and one
informant said
1.-THE success of the conference is
in doubt"
Qualification Task, Tass Says.
Tass, official Soviet news agency
said the conferences foremost task
was to clarity the actual meaning
of the Harvard University speech
June S in which Secretary of State
Marshall offered American help In
rebuilding Europe's war-wrecked
economy. Some regarded this as a
tipof on the Russian attitude.
Meanwhile, LIE Parisien, Paris lib
eral newspaper, reported, without
naming its source, that Mr.. Molot0v
made a very precise proposition
which took up most of the discussion
at the ministers opening four-hour
meeting yesterday. Reliable quar-
ters said the Ministers wasted no
time in coming to grips with some
principles basic to recovery.
The three Ministers and their
delegations will be luncheon guest;
of French President Vincent Auriol
tomorrow, and American Ambassa-
dor Jefferson Caffery has been in
vited. This will be the first time an
American representative has had
any official contact with the three
Foreign Ministers during the present
conference.
Spanish Issue Injected.
Dependable sources reported that
Mr.. Bidault injected the issue OF
Franco Spain by proposing that all
countries whether Allies, neutrals
or enemies in the war-be included
in the program except Spain
Tass, in a Paris-datelined dis
patch, suggested that the confer
ence first ask the United States
about the extent" and conditions
Of American help and the likelihood
Of congressional approval, and then
go ahead with "ascertaining the
need of European countries for eco
nonic aid"
The dispatch said Gen. Mar
shall's speech could not be consid-
cred ian official statement of the
Government" and that there had
been no official statement since the
speech either.
(The dispatch was published in
all Moscow papers, Moscow ad-
vices said.)
In commenting on the news
blackout, LIE Parisien spoke of an
iron curtain pulled across the
Hall of Parrots" and L'Aube, organ
of Mr.. Bidault's own Popular Repub-
lican Movement (MRP), said CEN
sorship threatened the success OF
the conference.
Agreement in Congress will be
easier to obtain if the American
citizen can have the feeling that
Europe herself is first doing all she
can for her own reconstruction,
L'Aube declared. HE can only ac-
quire this feeling If he knows what
is going on in the Quaf d'Orsay
(the Foreign Ministry"
A spokesman for the British
!