FRENCH PREMIER IN LONDON

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25083, 15 January 1947, Page 7

FRENCH PREMIER IN LONDON

Visit At Request Of Attlee MEETING WITH MINISTERS (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, January 13. The French Prime Minister (Mr Leon Blum) flew to London to-day at Mr Attlee’s urgent request. It is officially stated that he is seeking increased coal deliveries from the British zone of Germany, but the “Evening Standard” says that it is known that he came in response to a British offer to open discussions for a formal Pritish-French alliance and some form of Customs union. Mr Blum is anxious to lay the foundations for such an alliance before his Government resigns on Thursday. French diplomatic circles think that unless Britain is able to promise deliveries of from 1,900,000 to 2,000,000 tons of coal, the discussions are likely to come to an abrupt end. Reuter’s political correspondent says that trade will be the main subject of discussion when Mr Blum meets Mr Attlee, the president of the Board of Trade (Sir Stafford Cripps), the Foreign Minister (Mr Bevin), and other Ministers. There is nothing on the agenda yet for a French-British alliance or a Customs union. Britain informed France before Mr Blum came that Britain was unlikely to be able to export any coal. Reuter’s correspondent in Paris says that a French Foreign Office spokesman said that the harmonisation of French and British reconstruction plans, as well as French coal problems, were the main objects of the London talks. He added that there was no fixed agenda, and that though the talks would be principally economic, including the possibility of an increased allotment of Ruhr coal for France, the two statesmen “will undoubtedly review all foreign policy questions of mutual interest.”