Evening star., 1954-04-27
Geneva
Continued From First Page)


and seapower around the battle
zones.
The Indo- China talks were as
yet in the informal. Small-group
stage. The conference agreed at
its opening session yesterday to
take up general debate on Korea
first.
Frances last-reported terms
were outlined to the French AS
sembly March 7 by Premier Jo-
seph Laniel. They included Wet
Mimi withdrawal from the king
doms of Cambodia and Laos and
division of Wet Nam into sepa-
rate armiStice zones for the
French and Wet Mimi.
The premier said then France
would insist on holding the fer
tile, populous deltas of the Red
River in the north and the ME
kong in the south. This would
confine the rebels chiefly to un-
productive mountain regions, a
division the Communists prob
ably would reject.
First Contact on Issue.
The Molotov- -Bidault talks this
morning marked the first con-
tact of the Western Big Three
with Russia on Indo-China.
Mr.. Bidault arranged to see
the Soviet Foreign Minister
after the Russian failed to show
up yesterday for an informal
talk on Indo-China with the
French Minister, United States
Secretary of State Dulles and
Mr.. Eden.
The Western Big Three re-
viewed the situation in Frances
Far Eastern colony and were
reported to have agreed on the
nations they want at the table
when Indo-China comes up.
Diplomatic sources believed
Mr.. Molotov's failure to meet
with the three Western minis
ters indicated decision against
any Big -Four" gatherings while
Communist China's Premier
Foreign Minister Chou En-lai is
in Geneva.
This was regarded as part Of
the Communist attempt to put
the Peiping regime on a basis
OF equality in all big power con-
situations here. something the
Americans have said they will
not countenance.
First Tangle Averted.
An anticipated East-West tan
gle on Red China's status was
sidestepped at yesterdays OPEN
ing session of the conference, but
there was some indication Mr..
Molotov might be- holding off
only until the talks turn to
Indo- China.
Pressed for statement on
Peiping's role, a Soviet spokes-
man repeatedly referred the
newsmen to the Big -Four COM
munique after the Berlin Con-
ference which agreed on the Far
Eastern conference.
That announcement was spe-
ciflc on the composition of the
Korean talks, limiting them to
the nations which had troops in
the war there and the Soviet.
But of the Indo- Chinese ques-
ton, it said only that it would
be discussed by the Big -Four,
plus Red China land other in
terested states"
The Russians have taken the
position this wording makes the
Indo-C China talks a big Five"
conference with Peiping a spon-
sor, entitled to a part in choos-
ing the other participants. The
United States has fatty rejected
this, insisting that only the Big
Four are the sponsors.
Western Stand Not Disclosed.
The Western powers have not
disclosed what countries they
are willing to seat at the Indo-
China talks beyond the three
French sponsored Associated
States there-Viet Nam, Laos
and Cambodia. It was not known
whether they would agree to
negotiate directly with repre-
SentativeS of the Communist
controlled Wet Mimi rebels.
The Western and Communist
delegates apparently were in
agreement that no formal dis
cussions would begin on Indo-
China until after Korean issues
are disposed of.
| Mr.. Molotov was chairman of
the conference session today
under the three-man daily rota-
tion plan agreed to yesterday.
Mr.. Eden and Thailand's foreign
minister. Prince Wan Waithaya-
kon, will alternate with the Rus
sian in the chair. The delegates
also agreed yesterday the ses-
sions would be closed, with in
dividual delegations holding
press briefings later as they de-
sired.