News in brief (Gerwis first anniversary in Salatiga)

[Note: the column edges are cut in the OCR, so some words are incomplete.] [...] Citing a New China Newsagency correspondent from Pyongyang, [Unreadable] said that, despite peace negotiations in progress, American planes were continuing their savage bombings of peaceful towns and villages in North Korea. General Matthew Ridgway [went] back to Korea from Tokyo on Thursday and the U.S. command displays a general air of satisfaction as the [Unreadable] seventh cease-fire meeting ended in Kaesong. The return of the U.S. Supreme Commander, who had gone to Tokyo only Tuesday night, hinted that [an] agreement of the first phase of the cease-fire negotiations may not be [Unreadable]. But U.N. officials made it plain that [they] would not be rushed into any haphazard accord and were prepared to [Unreadable] wait for the communists until a satisfactory agreement has been reached. MADRID — A new Spanish cabinet to smooth the way for a direct military alliance with the United States probably will be announced within the next [Unreadable] hours, well-informed sources said on Wednesday. WASHINGTON — Government officials said on Thursday the U.S. government plans to send a special mission to Madrid "in several weeks" to negotiate a final agreement for the use of sea and air bases in Spain. The dispatch of the important group reveals the American intentions to press on with such negotiations despite British and French objections against any new Allied military alignment with Spain. In Madrid authoritative sources said Franco had assured Sherman that he would send troops beyond Spain's frontiers to fight beside the Allies in any war against Russia if he is given American arms and money. CALCUTTA — [Unreadable] here on Wednesday front-paged [Unreadable] authoritative reports" alleging an air [Unreadable] and military mobilisation and census of civilian resources in East Pakistan. The "Hindustan Standard" correspondent in Shillong (Assam) said [Unreadable] Pakistan army divisions were now in East Pakistan, whereas until now it had been left practically defenceless. He added that the strength of the national guards and other volunteers had been brought to 500,000 strong and "more police was being recruited." Bomber squadrons and fighters, including jets, were also being based in East Pakistan. The East Pakistan authorities were stockpiling supplies sufficient to last up to 6 months. CANBERRA — Australian Premier Robert Menzies revealed at a press conference that Australia [had] offered its "friendly good offices" to both India and Pakistan in the Kashmir dispute. TEHERAN — American sources here were pessimistic about the outcome of Averell Harriman's mission to Teheran to find a solution to the oil dispute. Sources close to Harriman said he had not discovered the slightest indication of modification in the attitude of either side which could make a compromise possible. In London, a secret conference on the Iranian crisis was held in one of the House of Commons' rooms between representatives of the government and opposition. This conference was the third since the Iranian crisis. PARIS — The French Premier-designate Maurice Petsche has informed President Auriol that he did not succeed in forming a government. Auriol then turned to Robert Schuman after Petsche had given up his mandate to form a cabinet. The refusal of Schuman, however, to try his hand at ending the French Cabinet crisis, made Auriol summon René Mayer, Justice Minister of the outgoing cabinet, who has accepted the mandate. SAIGON — The U.S. State Department has said it would welcome a visit to Washington by General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, C-in-C in French Indo-China, usually reliable sources have stated in Saigon. They added that [they] thought the State Department was anxious to discuss the new communist strategy in the Far East following the opening of the Korean armistice negotiations. DJAKARTA — Member of Parliament Dr. Mohammad Yamin has asked the Indonesian Government [for] a reply to [Unreadable] questions on detention of Indonesian subjects in Malaya, confiscation of their possessions [and] even of villages. Requesting the government whether this information is correct and whether the Indonesian Republic is willing to undertake diplomatic steps to have the prisoners released, Dr. Yamin intimates immediate [Unreadable] of reprisal against the persons, liberty and possessions of British subjects in Indonesia, if it has been proved that the internment of said Indonesians in Malaya is in conflict with the "Universal Human Rights", and that the British government has shown itself not willing to release these Indonesians. BRISTOL — Tom Goddard, [Unreadable]-year-old Gloucestershire and England off-spin bowler, has retired from first-class cricket. This was announced here on Wednesday by the County Secretary, Lieutenant Colonel H. [Unreadable] Henson, who said: "Goddard, who had a serious attack of pneumonia and pleurisy not many weeks ago, feels that he cannot get properly fit". [Dutch item:] Onlangs herdacht de vrouwenvereniging Gerwis (Gerakan Wanita Indonesia Sedar) onder grote belangstelling van de plaatselijke organisaties in Hotel Kali-Taman te Salatiga haar eenjarig bestaan.

=== [Page 1] === [The news-in-brief column is in English and is not repeated here. Translation of the final Dutch paragraph:] — The women's association Gerwis (Gerakan Wanita Indonesia Sedar) recently commemorated its first anniversary at Hotel Kali-Taman in Salatiga, with great interest from local organisations.