Soviet Rejects Compromise Of French on Balkan Issue

LAKE SUCCESS, July 24--Hopes for a compromise solution of the Balkan problem faded today when Russia turned down French proposals intended to "soften" the American plan for a powerful semi-permanent commission in the Halkans.

Soviet delegate Andrel A. Gromyko, breaking his silence after hours of debate by other delegates on various amoudments before the Security Council, declared that Russia's opposition to the U. S. resolution would remain unchanged regardless of what happened to the French proposals.

He told the Council that none of the amendments changed the substance of the American plan which he already had declared to be "unacceptable" to Russia. Gromyko made no reference to a series of British amendments which were discussed this morning.

The Soviet attitude was disclosed after the delegates had left unresolved a new difficulty raised by a French proposal that the big five powers be excluded from the proposed Balkan commission.

The proposal was strongly opposed by the United States, China, and Britain which insisted that each of the 11 members of the Security Council should be represented on the commission designed to set up a semi-permanent watch over the disturbed area.

French delegate Alexandre Parodi suggested that the commission should be limited to a smaller "neutral" group of seven countries--the six non-permanent members of the Security Council and possibly Sweden.

Herschel V. Johnson, deputy U.S. representative, objected, however, that the same political differences would exist among a small group as among a larger body such as the United States proposed.

"We believe a commission representing all the members of the Council would more fully represent the moral as well as the legal weight of the Council toward the maintenance of international peace."

Johnson proposed that a vote on the composition of the commission be deferred until tomorrow.

France quickly won the support of Australian delegate Col. W. R. Hodgson, who said he would vote for a small "neutral commission, but suggested that it be limited to the six non-permanent members of the Council--Australia, Colombia, Brazil, Syria, Poland, and Belgium.

Dr. Alfonso Lopez, of Colombia, objected that "it is idle to think that if the big five cannot agree among themselves that they will follow a non-permanent member."

Throughout the long debate Soviet delegate Andrei A. Gromyko listened in silence. He has opposed the creation of any sort of commission and apparently was content to wait until his own plan was taken up after discussion was completed on the U. S. resolution.

Meanwhile the council received an interim report from the subsidiary group of the Balkan investigating commission on recent developments along Greece's northern border. The report was restricted to a summary of testimony taken in its on-the-spot investigation of Greek charges that an international brigade had entered Greece from Albania.

Although all the witnesses testified that large guerilla bands had entered Greece from Albania, there was no direct testimony that an international brigade was involved.