Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-18
Red Bloc Votes
Itself Control
5yer Danube
BoIIot Is J to |,
With U. S. Voting No;
British, French Silent
By the Associated Press

oGLJNhDC, i uSOSldfld, Au6s
18.-Eastern Europe's Commu-
mist bloc voted itself exclusive
control over the Danube River
today and the western powers
officially recorded their refusal
to heed the decision.
The vote of the conference was
7 to l to accept the Russian-drafted
pact posting a Danube for the
Danubians' sign over the continents
most important waterway. The
United States voted against 1t.
Neither Britain nor France voted.
Both the British ambassador, Sir
Charles Peake, and Adrien Thierry,
chief of the French delegation, re-
manned in the conference room
while the final voting took place.
Russia Accused of Deception"
The United States accused Russia
of deception" The head of the
American delegation charged that
the Communist bloc of states had
been used with "synical" solidarity
to achieve the Soviet aim.
American Ambassador Cavendish
Cannon told the 11-nation Danub-
ian Conference he could not accept
a Russian free-navigation pact as the
basis for reopening the continents
l800-mile trade waterway.
Thus he joined Britain, France and
Austria in saying no to the Com
munist dominated countries efforts
to push through convention which
would exclude the Western powers
from any say of administration Of
the Danube shipping
Tin Washington, Secretary of
State Marshall said the American
representative had been in
structed not to sign the Danubian
convention if it stood as drafted
by the Soviet bloc)
Formal Rejection Recorded.
One by one. the Western powers
formally recorded their rejection of
the Russian draft-a move made
chiefly for the historical record since
its formal approval by the Soviet
satellite majority is certain, probably
early tonight.
Mr.. Cannon told the conference
that I'VE think il (the pact) is q
backward step in that it represents
a new and determined effort to cut
of certain Danubian states from
their normal, indeed their essential,
intercourse with the rest of tho
world
He attacked the Russian claim
that the treaty was designed to
protect the sovereign rights" of
the Danubian states-Russia, the
Soviet Ukraine. Czechoslovakia,
Yugoslavia, Romania, Hungary and
Bulgaria.
Russian CHARGES Answered.
That has a hollow sound" Mr..
Cannon said, "one considers the
economic price nation pays when
trade and intercourse are throttled
to the advantage of a single power
full neighbor 1t has hollow sound
when one considers the Interference
in the internal affairs Of the states
in this region in the past few years"
Sir Charles Peake. British Ambas-
sador. said his government could
not recognize new Danube, con-
vention which claims to place GER
tain users of the Danube In .
monopolistic position" r..
He said Britain came to the con-
ference prepared to negotiate "a
new and equitable statute but had
been disappointed by Russian re-
fusal of all attempts at compromise
and Russia's effort to ride rough
shod over the rights and needs Of
other riparian povers."
Disciplined Majority Charged.
Mr.. Thierry said Russia had put
its plan through by disciplined
ma ority."
He said France cannot subscribe
to convention imposed on her and
suggested the whole issue be sent
back to the Council of Foreign Min
listers for settlement.
| Romania's Foreign Minister Ana
Pauker said the conference lis end
ing as it began-With the real in
terests of the Western powers only
in their acquired rights on the
Danube"
Our only interest is in the vel
fare of our own people" she said.