Evening star., 1947-03-09
4O-Year German Pact
Is Marshall S Aim as
Guarantee 10 Europe
" IN. A.soe;otsd Pres.

BY the Asseeiotsd Press
BERLIN, Mar. 8.-Secretary of
State Marshall indicated today that
q prime American objective in Mos
cow will be adoption of four power
40-year pact against Germany in
order to give an ironclad guarantee
to the world that the United States
intends to maintain her response
bilities in Europe.
He emphasized at news confer
ence that such treaty would
provide political framework within
which the United States, Britain
France and Russia might develop
the final peace pact with Germany
1t would clear away many Of the
difficulties now blocking Allied peace
settlements for Germany and Aus
tria, he said.
He stressed strongly the need fol
such q pact, which James F. Byrnes,
former Secretary of State, proposed
originally for a 25-year period. Gen
Marshall recalled that Soviet For
eign Minister Molotov suggested in
formally later that the period be
extended to 40 years.
Doubts Remain In Europe.
Saying that considerable doubt
remained in Europe about the dura-
bility of American foreign policy
and willingness to maintain respon-
sibiiities in Europe, Gen. Marshall
declared adoption of a 40-year pact
would prove to the world that the
United States intended to continue
her present role as an active partlc-
ipant in European affairs.
He attached importance to such q
treaty in guaranteeing that Ger
many would not rearm and lnsur-
ing immediate joint action against
Germany in case the need ever
arises.
The American secretary plans tc
leave tomorrow morning for Moscow
where the four power foreign minis
ters' conference will take up on
Monday the peace treaties for Aus
tria and Germany.
He did not permit any direct quo
tations at the news conference, MOI
did he touch on any other concrete
points regarding his mission. He
expressed no opinion on the prob
able success of the Moscow meet
ing. Afterwards he went into con-
ference with leading American mill
tary and political officials in Ger
many.
Confers With officials.
Among officials meeting with him
were Gen. Joseph T. McNarney, re-
firing military governor: 1t. Gen
Lucius D. Clay, Gen. McNarney's
successor; Robert Murphy, political
advisor for Germany, and 1t. Gen
Mark Clark, former military COVER
nor for Austria, who arrived in Ber-
lin today.
Both Mr.. Byrnes and Gen
Marshall encountered, when they
came to Europe, the anxiety held by
many Europeans that America will
not continue to maintain an inter-
est in the fate of Europe. American
action after Versailles, when Con-
gress declined to ratify the plan for
the League of Nations, is still vivid
memory to Europeans.
The effect of American domestic
politics, as between Republicans and
Democrats. on American foreign
policy remains source OF anxiety
on the continent.
A security treaty, therefore, would
have as one of its major aims the
dispelling of doubt about the con-
stancy of American foreign policy
It would bind the United States,
for a relatively long period of time,
to participate actively in the central
problem of Europe-Germany.
German Problem Complicated.
Few observers believe that the
Moscow conference will 60 very far
toward writing the final treaty of
peace with Germany. They believe
that 1t will make a giant stride If
it completes the Austrian treaty.
The German problem is far big
ger and more complicated, and poll
cies and views of the four major
powers are at greater variance. The
German issues include:
/. The question of whether repa-
rations for war damages should be
taken from current German produc-
ton. The United States and Britain
oppose this, Russia and France favor
it.
2. Fixing the levels of German
production.
3. Creation of German political
organisms, so that through free elec-
tions the Germans may take first
steps toward democratic govern
ment.
Experts do not believe the issues
can be resolved in few weeks dis
cussions in Moscow But if the four
major powers agree on a security
treaty the pact might serve as a
foundation on which some of their
differences might be reconciled.