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Elgin Admits
"Miscalculation"
On Trieste
LONDON, Thursday.,
Britain's Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony
Eden, admitted in the House of Commons
yesterday that Britain and America seriously
miscalculated Marshal Tito's reaction to their
decision to hand over Zone, A of Trieste to
Italy. The
Commons endorsed the Government's
policy by 296 votes to 268.
But even Eden rebuked Tito
for threatening to march' into
the one as soon as the Allies
left
He also openly accepted for
the first time that the British
French and African declaration
of 1948 favoring the return of
the Yugoslav and Allied zones of
15 costs was i a dead letter
The Foreign Secretary i
affirmed Britain's intention not
to go back on the latest Allied
plan, but, he said, the hand over
to Italy would be complicated
and would inevitably take time
to complete
Reuter's diplomatic correspon-
dent said it is now) clear that the
Allied Governments will not
withdraw all their troops while
the slightest possibility exists of
Italo-Yugoslav armed conflict, as
"under a war could be, disastrous
for the whole Western defence
build-up
! ,
WANTS CONFERENCE
Tito is insisting that a Five
Power conference of the Big
Three plus Italy and Yugoslavia
must presuppose implementation
of the Anglo-American decision
to hand over Zone A to
italy
Italian Premier, Signor Gayda
says the Allied plan must go
through
Reuter comments that there is
much sympathy in London for
last week's Italian proposal that
both sides should withdraw their
forces to save distance from each
other
- Mr Eden's statement to the
House, came in a debate on European
affairs in which he said
Britain believed a five-Power
conference could attempt to find
a (solution to Trieste before
Anglo-American troops quit
Zone A * < i
While he agreed that there had
been a, risk in the Anglo-Ameri-
can decision, he was still sure,
he said, that there was no other
choice !,'.,! , i ' '
Britstand America, he told.
the. House, foresaw violent real
action from Italy and Yugoslavia.
but they did not foresee
and had not been led to expect
a threat of military, force.
MEMBERS CRITICAL
? Mr. Eden made his statement
after - , Socialist leaders had
strongly criticised the Anglo-
American? "decision. ' i
Mr. Philip Noel Baker, a former
Commonwealth Relations
Minister, who opened, the debate;
charged that Britain and
America, had dealt a serious blow
to the. moral forces on which
the Western defensive system
rested. ' .
"They have made Trieste' a
deadly weakness at-the heart of
Europe's life," he' declared.
Mr. Baker termed the . Anglo-
American decision ill-considered
and irresponsible" and said Air
lied troops' should stay in Trieste
until agreement was reached.- He
urged a five-Power conference be
held as soon as possible.
Mr. Woodrow Wyatt (Social;,
ist), a former Secretary of State'
for War, said he is hoped Britain
would "stand up and say frank-,
ly"' what she thought the result
would be when America proposed
a foolish and rash action."
He said the Anglo-American
declaration must be carried out
very gently over a long period
if a fearful crisis was not to be
precipitated.
'. Labour's Jennie Lee, wife of
left-wing leader, Aneurin Bevan,
said that Tito and his people
were suffering from a burning
sense of injustice and felt they
had been double-crossed. ',
Sir . Winston Churchill loudly
commented ' hear, hear," when
another. Labour member, Mr.
Mont Follick, said Mr. Eden was
not to be, blamed for Trieste,.,
e, Conservative Lord Hinchirig
brooke said he thought! it absor
lately . necessary to. administer
"a short, sharp knock" to hear
Yugoslavia and Italy is to bring
them up against the realities of
the situation." , >,
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