The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-05-06
BRITAIN TAKES STEP
TOWARD WAR ARENA
IN FARLEY AGREEMENT

a step closer to the Indochina war
arena. American and British
sources say she has agreed to join
Allied talks on united military &C.
ton in the Far Eastern battlefield
il the Geneva peace parley fails.
The report came as London
newspapers voiced fears Britain
would drift into a serious split
with the United States over Allied
action in Indochina. Moscow radio
asserted that British refusal to join
in "new aggressive plans" had
Isolated the United States at
Geneva.
The American-proposed parley
is expected to take place within
the next thee weeks in either
Washington or Singapore. Inform
ants said it would discuss. plans
for:
1. Underwriting any sort of po-
litical settlement in Indochina that
might emerge from the Geneva
parley.
2. Saving Indochina from being
overrun by the Communicated
Vietminhe peace talks fail.
Projected composition of the con-
ference was not disclosed, but the
United States, Britain, France,
Australia, New Zealand and Can
ada at least are expected to send
staff officers.
Commenting on the danger of
an Americana British rift, the Lib
eral News Chronicle declared:
'Unity requires shared readiness
to negotiate. But at this moment
any American statesman who ex-
presses readiness to negotiate is
howled down as an appeaser-be-
fore anyone knows what he is pro-
posing to negotiate"
The Conservative Daily Mail
said public opinion in the two
countries "can hardly be blamed
for its bewilderment now"
Policy, at least in Washington,
seems to have been at the mercy
Of every prevailing current of
sentiment"
The independent Daily Express
called 1t "Simply mischievouS" to
say split now exists.
"A plan to intervene in the Indo-
china war was never clearly de-
fined" the Express declared. "nor
was it probable that the American
Congress, let alone Britain, would
endorse it."
U. S. administration officials
have virtually ruled out any di-
rect American Intervention in In
dochina unless Britain agrees to
join as part of coalition to pro-
tect Southeast Asia against Red
conquest. Britain served notice she
opposed such an alliance in adj
vance of the ,Indochina negotia-
tons with the Communists at &C.
neva.
Prime Minister Churchill also
told Parliament i. his government
opposes any united military action
In Indochina while the Geneva
talks are still on.
The British attitude spelled de-
feat for U. S. Secretary of State
Dulles hopes of confronting the
Reds at Geneva with a united
front committed to possible inter-
vention in Indochina.
The American proposed parley
OF air, land and sea force chiefs
is expected to seek to overcome
some Of these differences.
The Moscow broadcast heard
here said the complete and final
defeat of colonizers" is shaping I'D
in Asia and ''the situation has de-
veloped far from what the u. S.
secretary of state wanted"
Representatives, of many coun-
tries taking part in the conference
prefer finding ways of agreement
which lead to a peaceful settle
ment OF disputed international
problems to that of agreement re-
gardlng new, aggressive plans"
the broadcast said.
I'm particular, the British dele.
CATION prefers to adopt a more
careful attitude than that which
the State Department has out.
lined"