Evening star., 1947-12-11

WOulQ mean tNdC UQe OQlCeQ SCdCeS
would assume virtually complete
economic and financial control over
the two areas, as American negotia-
tors have agreed to take over all
of Britain's dollar commitments, the
informantS said.
In the bluntest language he has
yet used during the conference, Sec
retary of State Marshall yesterday
accused Russia of extracting Ger
man assets at the rate of S500,000,- =
900 a year, while the United States
and Britain have been pouring in
$700, 900 to keep Germany alive.
Gen. Marshall declared that the
Withdrawals must cease by Jan
uary /. He called on his Council
colleagues to make that decision at
once. 1t was apparent that this
time the American Secretary would
be satisfied with nothing short of
q yes-or-no answer.
In formal statement, Gen. Mar
shall asserted that IF we cannot
take this economic decision which
is Of immediate vital significance
then we are wasting our time when
there Is no time to waste"
Mr.. Molotov side stepped a direct
answer yesterday while the Council
was discussing the principles of Ger
mar1yS economic unity, saying that
the arguments. would only have to
be repeated when the Council
reached the problem of deciding on
what to do about reparations.
That point had been reached to-
day.
But even in advance of his for
NAL answer Mr.. Molotov told Gen.
Marshall that the American Sec
retary's assertion that the bill for
reparations would fall on American
taxpayers was "unfounded and I
am prepared to prove it
Just what Mr.. MolotovS reply will
be-whether he will seek to refute
the claim of a large-scale Soviet
extraction of reparations from East
ern Germany or whether he will
counter it with similar charges
against the western powers-re-
NAMED uncertain.
Thus far Mr.. Molotov has shown
no sign of backing down on Rus
sias demand for $4,000 100000 in
reparations from Germany, nor any
inclination to yield in his insistence
that this must start in the form of
returns from current production.
Gen. Marshall made the western
powers position on this point clear.
The one essential contribution we
can make to European recovery"
he said, "is to determine here and
now that, except for agreed rep
arations in capital goods, nothing
shall be taken out of Germany ex-
cept for counter values which will
produce the essential imports needed
to enable the Germans to survive"
Technically, at least. the council
held to its decision to complete dis
cussion of issues involving Ger
many's economic unification before
tackling the agenda item Of repera-
tions.
But with that dispute clouding the
future there have been few decisions
on such vital questions as wiping out
zonal boundaries, sharing expenses,
pooling resources, repaying advances
to Germany and settling fiscal prob
lens.
Those problems were put down for
later study by the deputies or
marked plainly--at least for the
present-"no agreement"
German Request Weighed.
This much remained certain: The
American delegation has decided
that any major agreement must be
SO exactly worded that it cannot be
thrown back at the Allied Control
Commission for Interpretation and
possible delay before being put into
effect.
The British government was re-
ported to be considering" an appli-
cation received last night from a
group OF Germans for visas to come
to London to present their views to
the Foreign Ministers.
Government sources said, how
ever, that it was very unlikely" that
visas would be granted to the group,
who represent the German Peo-
pies Congress for Unity" which met
in Berlin last week under the spon-
SorShip of the Communist-don,i