CUSTOMS UNION PLAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 72, 26 March 1931, Page 7

CUSTOMS UNION PLAN.

Austro-German Scheme Under

Consideration.

BRITAIN'S POSITION.

(Received 1 p.m.) RUGBY, March 25. In reply to a number of questions in the House of Commons, the Under-Secre-tary for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Hugh Dalton, said that the information concerning the projected Customs union between Germany and Austria, which was furnished to the Foreign Office by the German Ambassador and the Austrian Minister, was being very closely studied in its legal, commercial and political aspects. No agreement between Austria and Germany had yet been concluded, but the two Governments had communicated certain proposals which it was intended should form the subject for the future negotiation of a treaty. Whether or not a union was constituted along the lines of the proposals would involve a breach of any treaty provision was a legal question which would be fully and carefully examined. ; It was impossible to forecast the result of the proposed agreement on British trade, but the House could rest assured that the Government would use all proper means to prevent injury, as a result of any such agreement, to the trading interests of Great Britain. The text of the proposals was communicated only last Monday. It was not before Friday that they received even the first intimation which came not from the German or the Austrian representative, but from the French Ambassador, who called at the Foreign Office. A communique issued by the British Embassy in Paris stated that the British and French Foreign Ministers had considered the situation created by the proposed Customs union. Mr. Henderson informed M. Briand that lie expressed the strong hope that before Austria and Germany proceeded further in the negotiation of the proposed Customs union an opportunity would be given to the Council of the League of Nations under whose auspices the of 1922 was negotiated to assure itself at the May meeting that the proposals were not contrary to the engagements given by Austria in that instrument.