BRITAIN LOOKS TO DOMINIONS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25272, 26 August 1947, Page 7

BRITAIN LOOKS TO DOMINIONS

Closer Economic Co-operdtion

“PUBLIC STIRRED BY RESPONSE” (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, August 24. Lord Addison, Secretary for Commonwealth Relations, who is now in Canberra, has been ordered by the British Cabinet to undertake immediately talks on plans to expand Empire trade, according to the “Daily Express.” Lord Addison’s job . ow will be to get the Empire to send Britain more iood and raw materials and to ask Empire countries to agree on limiting the amount of goods still to be bought with dollars. The Cabinet has decided to go ahead with the Empire talks, even ff new dollar aid is offered

“The Cabinet’s meeting to-morrdW will assess with the Dominions what additional supplies they can send to replace dollar purchases,” says Reuters political correspondnt. “Britain is looking to the Dominions and Europe for closer economic co-operation. “British public opinion has been deeply stirred by the immediate response from the Dominions during the dollar crisis, and their promptness in rationing dollar purchases to ease the load on Britain’s credit. “Political affiliations which were sceptical or hostile towards the Ottawa Agreement during the negotiations now urge preferential benefits to the Dominions as the necessary price of assured deliveries. Excepting currency limitation, it is difficult to see what the Dominions can do immediately to help Britain, as most of their exportable surpluses are earmarked for Britain. Other possibiliites will be examined during the Dominion talks in ensuing weeks. “Britain may get a promise of immediate additional supplies of nonstable products and, in the distant future, an expansion of wheat and meat shipments which are the principal worry. At present the main sources of essentials lie in the dollar area, and they must be bought from limited dollar earnings.” A new loan had not been considered, said the leader of the British delegation to the Washington talks (Sir Wilfred Eady) before going aboard an aeroplane in Washington to return to England. Sir Wilfred Eady added that the possibility of a further loan from the United States had not even been mentioned. He paid a tribute to the helpful attitude adopted by the United States Department of State. Sir. Wilfred Eady is due back in London to-morrow, and correspondents say that he will go straight to No. 10 Downing Street, and report to a meeting of the Cabinet. The meeting, it is believed, will also discuss the proposed winter rationing scale, and the level of coal production.