Evening star., 1949-05-07
Western Allies
.ToConier Before
Big -Four Meets
Ministers to Stort
From Scratch in
Muy q Session
ey the Assoeiotsd Press

Once spokesman said today
Britain. France and the United
States will hold preliminary talks
in Paris before sitting down with
Russia in the Big -Four conference
on Germany, May %.
The spokesman said the three
powers would be represented by
senior persons" at the pre-con-
ference talks. The French Foreign
ONCE already has announced that
DR.. Philip Jessup. American Am
bassador at large. is flying to Paris
this week end.
While I am not able to give
you any details of who may be
expected to participate in such
conversations" the spokesmen told
newsmean, 1T is fact that there
will be certain preliminary discus
sions In Paris before the session of
the conference of Foreign Min
listers.
These, of course. are the result
of contacts which there were be-
tween Foreign Secretary Ernest
Bevin. Foreign Minister Robert
Schuman and Secretary Of State
Dean Acheson in Washington"
He added that in the Washing
ton talks last month certain
agreed positions were adopted and
in the light Of commitments un-
dertaken. there will be talks in
Paris"
Start from Scratch.
In Paris. the four foreign min
listers are expected to discard rec
ords Of old chickering's. when they
sit down together. and start from
scratch on a German settlement.
British officials said yesterday
the ministers will have an open
agenda. Observers said this means
the representatives Of the United
States, Russia, Britain and France
hope to avoid reopening old quar-
rels.
Meanwhile American. British
and French experts have begun to
exchange ideas on conference
strategy. They are making every
effort to avoid giving Russia the
idea that they are "ganging up"
on her.
British foreign office experts
have begun to work on a new
statement Of political and eco-
nomic principles which they feel
should govern any German settle
ment, official sources said.
Developments Listed.
In this they are taking into ac-
count developments since the last
four power conference in London
in December. 1947.
These include the three vet
eran powers agreements to:
/. Merge the three Western oc-
cupation zones into Trizonia.
2. Put Germany's industrially
rich Ruhr Valley under control of
the United States. Britain. France.
Belgium. the Netherlands and
Luxembourg.
3. Raise the level OF German
industrial production and reduce
drastically the program Of dis
mantling German industries.
4. Give the Netherlands. Bel
GUM and Luxembourg portions Of
Germany's border territory.
S. Set up q West German fed.
eral republic by July Is.
Another development to be
faced Is Russia's call for with
drawal of all occupation forces
one year after the signing Of an
German peace settlement.
New Red Plan Expected.
Both American and British OFF,
cials say they expect Russia to
introduce a new plan for estab-
fishing a centralized government
for all Germany. One American
diplomat said the Western powers
would oppose such move because
a centralized German government
might turn into a dictatorship.
France, a spokesman said. be-
lieves the West should not aban-
don its fundamental aim of Great
ing a truly democratic federal re-
public of all Germany which
would never again endanger Eu-
ropean peace. He said the West
should bargain only on '.secon-
Diary" points and make no funda-
mental concessions.
American and British officials
have made it clear they agree
(See MINISTER'S. Page A-2)