HAILED AS MILITARY

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14572, 16 January 1948, Page 3

HAILED AS MILITARY

BRITAIN'S NEW TREATY WITH IRAQ SIGNED AT PORTSMOUTH

STRENGTHENING RELATIONS WITH ARABIC WORLD

EACH COUNTRY TO HELP OTHER IN TIME OF WAR

London, Jan. 15

The new treaty of alliance has been signed between Britain and Iraq. A correspondent says the main point about this new treaty is that each country agrees to help the other in time of war. This clause was in the old treaty. A further feature of the agreement is that the two air bases in Iraq are handed over to Iraq. Britain is invited to maintain a technical staff at the bases. Personnel of the Iraq Air Force will be trained by Britain.

This new treaty also provides that no British troops will be stationed in Iraq, although British troops will be able to pass through the country in case of need. The correspondent says the treaty is hailed as a military alliance. The Government of Iraq is assured that the British Government will do all in its power to provide technical experts to help the economic and social development of the country.

The treaty will remain in force for 30 years unless meanwhile a security system has been worked out by the United Nations.

The treaty was signed at Portsmouth with Mr Ernest Bevin, Foreign Secretary, signing for Britain. He declared that the treaty was the beginning of a new series of treaties regularising and strengthening relations between Britain and the Arabic world.

The, Iraq Prime Minister. referred to the traditional frier and declared that he hoped the of good relations between Brita:

who signed for his country, .dship between the two peoples ; treaty would start a new era n and the old Arabic world.