Evening star., 1948-10-04

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Council considered itself competent
to deal with the subject.
III We accepted an item on the
agenda and then found We were not
competent to discuss it, what would
we do then?" he asked.
Mr.. Vishinsky then said:
Does such q threat to peace and
security exist? =" Isn't it really
an excuse? Gentlemen, you have
got the wrong address,"
Mr.. Vishinsky's voice rose as he
again demanded that the East West
dispute be sent to the proper legal
body-the Council of Foreign Min
isters.
II insist that this agenda which
includes the item on Berlin should
not be approved" he said. I'VE
shall not be parties to such viola
tions (of the U. N. Charter)."
DR.. Philip c. Jessup. United States
deputy delegate and Columbia Uni
versity professor Of international
law took over the American seat
from Mr.. Austin. DR.. Jessup de-
clared that today's Soviet note did
not change the situation.
The Soviet government still re-
fuses to remove the blockade Of Ber-
lin and thus to remove the threat
to peace" he said.
He said he had rather expected
the Soviet delegate would object"
to putting the Berlin dispute on the
agenda. The Soviet note, he said,
revealed the intent to resort to
this maneuver."
The Western powers - Britain,
France and the United States
|pressed the charges before the
Council in spite of a last-minute
Soviet effort to transfer the dispute
to the Big -Four Council Of Foreign
Ministers.
Western Leaders Confer.
United States Secretary of State
Marshall, Britain's Ernest Bevin and
their top advisers on German affairs
met with French Foreign Minister
Robert Schuman in Mr.. Schuman's
otice as the Security Council de-
bated the Berlin crisis, French
spokesman reported.
They had before them fully trans
lated texts of the Russian note,
received In the early hours of this
morning, which replied to their no.
tice to the Kremlin last week that
they considered direct East West
negotiations for a Berlin settlement
q failure.
Their conference continued for
more than two hours and ended
without immediate announcement
of what conclusions, If any, were
reached.
American and British officials
said before the three ministers met
that the Russian note had not
changed the essential circumstances
of the East-West dispute over Ber-
lin.
They stressed that Russia's call
for foreign ministers meeting to
discuss Berlin and other German
problems "ducked the issue" be-
cause it ignored the basic Western
demand that the Russians lift their
Berlin blockade.
The foreign ministers are ex-
pected to decide whether they in
tend to reply to the Russian note.
Propaganda Maneuver Seen.
Other Western power officials ex-
pressed the view privately that the
Russian note was mainly important
as propaganda maneuver. What
the Russians apparently want, these
omcials said, is to impress members
Of the Security Council that the
Soviet Union is still willing to
settle things on . friendly basis.
The note did not suggest a place
or date for the proposed Foreign
Ministers Council meeting. A Mos
cow dispatch pointed out, however,
it was apparent the Russians would
agree to a Paris meeting, since three
OF the four power foreign ministers
already are here.
Soviet Foreign Minister v. M.
Molotov did not come to Paris for
the U. N. autumn meeting and
Mr.. Vishinsky heads the Russian
delegation.
If the case finally gets full con-
sideration by the Council, there
were indicat tions the Russians would
veto or ignore any decision the U.
N. makes.
Spokesmen for the Western pow
ers here said politics in Berlin and
Germany is not the issue. They
said the issue Is the Berlin blockade
and that the Western powers aim