Evening star., 1949-01-25
Soviet Spurs Fight
On Marshall Plan by
Organizing New Bloc
BY the Assoeioted Press

BY the Asseeiotsd Press
MOSCOW, Jan. 25.-Russia
and five other Eastern European
nations have organized a-"Coun-
Gil of Economic Mutual Assist
ance," obviously as an answer to
the Marshall Plan.
A communique issued today an
nouncing the plan said the United
States and Britain are "boycotting'
the six nations economically because
they do not belong to the Marshall
Plan.
In consideration of these cir
cumstances." representatives of the
Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Hungary,
Poland, Romania and Czechoslo-
vakia met in Moscow this month.
They discussed the question OF
organization Of broader economic
cooperation of the countries of the
peoples democracies and the U.
s. S. r.
(The Council appears to be an
attempt at an eastern counter
part of the Organization for Eu-
ropean Economic Cooperation,
the planning body of the Mar
shall Plan nations. This inter-
probation was strengthened by a
Tass dispatch received in London
which said In addition 20 stimu-
lating trade, the Councils job
will be to give technical help and
economic experience and give
one another a hand 'nl regard
to raw materials, foodstuffs, ma
chinery and equipment.")
Other Nations May Join.
The Council left the door open
for other nations to join.
The conference recognized" the
announcement said. that the Coun-
Gil of Economic Mutual Assistance
is an open organization, which
other countries Of Europe may enter
countries which share the prin-
ciples of the Council of Economic
Mutual Assistance and which wish
to participate in broad economic
cooperation with the above-men-
toned nations"
Finland, which did not participate
in the Marshall Plan, obviously can
apply for membership in the new
group.
The announcement did not say
that nations now members Of the
Marshall Plan would be barred
from membership in the Council.
However, 1t was obvious that any
countries seeking to join the Council
first would be obliged to renounce
Marshall Plan aid and embrace the
principles of the Council nations.
Yugoslavia, Albania Out.
Yugoslavia and Albania were not
among the countries whose repre-
sentatives met in Moscow to set up
the Council.
The six countries in the Council
already have extensive trade rela-
tions among themselves and during
recent weeks have signed many
agreements to step up their trade
even further.
Recent agreements have called for
the increase Of trade between Russia
and Bulgaria by 20 per cent over
1S48. between Russia and Poland, IS
per cent: between Russia and
Czechoslovakia. IS per cent, and be-
tween Russia and Hungary. 800 per
cent.
Trade with Yugoslavia has de-
creased by seven -eighths recently.
Russia has blamed that on the ''un-
friedly attitude" OF Premier Mar
shal T1to's regime.
The communique said the Council
will make no decision without the
agreement of the country concerned
In such a decision. This means a
majority of members of the Council
cannot impose q decision on a
nation concerned.
What the immediate effects of the
Russian move might be were not
clear. Russia's recent agreements
with the Eastern European satellites
calling for increased trade obviously
At into the plan but there is no
indication of other directions in
which the new group might lead.
It fits In. however, with move,
long anticipated, by the Kremlin to
weld the Eastern European bloc into
q co-ordinated economic unit in op-
position to the Marshall Plan.
The charges of q "boycott" by the
West seem aimed almost exclusively
at the United States, since Britain
and other Western European ma
tions have signed recent large-scale
trade agreements with Eastern
European nations.
The American position has been
that it is willing to trade with Russia
and the satellite nations but that
no goods which could be used for
warlike purposes should be sent be-
hind the Iron Curtain.
The United States further has in
sisted that no goods which could be
utilized for military purposes which
it provides for Marshall Plan ma
tions shall be transshipped to East
ern Europe.
Yugosjov Accuses West
OF New Sobotooe Acts