Honolulu Record, August 19, 1948, vol. 1 no. 3, p. 2
No Conclusion
At Moscow Soviet Foreign Minister V. M. Molotov conferred for three hours with U.S., British, and French envoys last Thursday. This was the fourth time in two weeks that the four powers had gone into top level conferences. Said U.S. Ambassador Walter B. Smith, at the conclusion of the fourth meeting, "We are still without any conclusions."
Conclusion
In Japan, however, conclusions had been come to — by the Soviets. Major General A. P. Kislenko, Sovient member of the Allied Council for Japan, demanded that General MacArthur cancel his prohibition of strikes and collective bargaining by Japanese government workers. In a letter to the supreme commander General Kislenko declared that the ban violated principles laid down by the Allied Far East Commission. He also stated that the ban was in violation of the Potsdam agreement.
The situation which the Soviet General protested was touched off by MacArthur's informing Prime Minister Hitoshi Ashida that strikes by government workers were "intolerable." Ashida and his cabinet promptly responded by outlawing such strikes. The ban is so severe that even those union leaders accused of "planning to strike" are subject to fine and imprisonment. As a result mass resignations were turned in by government railroad workers and others coming under the ban. Kislenko's letter to MacArthur was the first time that an allied power has publicly demanded that the supreme commander reverse any of his actions.
What affect the demand would have was still unrevealed by the aloof MacArthur at week's end.
Big Brother
Last week the U.S. extended "de facto" recognition to the government of South Korea. This recognition means that the U.S. "acknowledges" that the current regime is the government of the country. The South Korean government was installed November 14, 1947 following a U.S. fostered purge of left wing forces in the area.
The purge was marked by bitter conflicts between organized labor and the U.S. occupation forces. The "elections" which followed installed the present government in power. As a result of de facto recognition, President Truman dispatched John Muccio as special representative to Korea.
Pausing in Honolulu Muccio said that his first assignment will be to prepare for the establishment of an American diplomatic mission to South Korea. He added that the purpose of the mission will be to turn over the new South Korean government certain administrative responsibilities now held by the American military government.
Explained Muccio, "This will be a gradual process."
European Bash
Three minor erruptions [sic] — from the standpoint of headline value — broke out on the face of Europe. In France the National Assembly passed an economy program sponsored by Finance Minister Paul Reynaud.
Opponents termed it as being primarily an "anti-labor" program.
The bill empowers the government to "reorganize" those industries which have been nationalized in France's attempt to get back on her financial feet. The bill further allows the government to replace arbitrarily the 40-hour week with a 48-hour week, and to fire civil service employees at will. To the east, meantime, the vital Danube River was the subject of heated debate between the Eastern and Western blocs. It has been proposed that the Danube be henceforth open to all nations.
However, the means of accomplishing that laudable aim was not agreed upon.
On the one hand the U.S. has insisted that it, together with Britain, France, and Austria, be givgen a seat on the controling [sic] body. On the other hand the U.S.S.R has insisted that the still to be formed commission be comprised of representatives of only those countries which border the Danube. At last report the Belgrade conference sat patiently among its rejected proposals while Marshall and Molotov dealt on higher level.
In Paris exiled King Peter wept big, salty tears over Marshal Tito, the man most responsible for kicking him out of Yugoslavia, and said he was a "scared and lonely man." But while the noble ex-king was turning the other cheek, the U.S. was wondering just how "scared" a man Tito was. Since his policy split with the Cominform, Tito has been quite openly holding hands with the United States.
At latest report, however, the friendly grip was relaxing. The United States accused Yugoslavia of maintaining an "iron curtain" around its zone in Trieste. It further added, in the person of United Nations Delegate Dr. Phillip Jessup, that Tito "wants to take over the entire free territory.
In the meantime Yugoslavia countercharged that the U.S. was conspiring with Great Britain to give its portion of this intrigue wracked city to Italy.