RECOVERY IN EUROPE

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25445, 17 March 1948, Page 5

RECOVERY IN EUROPE

Western Nations Meet MR BEVIN OPENS PARIS TALKS (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) m ' LONDON, March 15. The British Foreign Secretary (Mr Ernest Bevin) opened the conference in Paris this afternoon of the 16 nations which will receive United States aid under the Marshall plan. Mr Bevin said that Britain was willuig to participate in permanent machinery for European economic cooperation. The traditional friendship between-the United Kingdom and the other British Commonwealth countries would be maintained, however. The British Government could not see any ground for conflict in that field. . While Marshall aid had been the subject of long investigation and protracted debate in the United States, the 16 European nations attending the conference had been striving, to lay the foundations of recovery . They had many handicaps and difficulties to surmount. but he was more hopeful now than at any time during or since the war.

Mr Bevin continued: “The progress report to the conference emphasises that we cannot prevent deterioration of our economies unless we obtain in the near future food and raw materials from the dollar areas.’ The two wars had meant for Europe nearly 30 years of struggle interwoven with economic disorder. They would not have been doing their duty if they had refused to give a constructive answer to the United States offer of aid. Mr Bevin said that the conference would establish a continuing organisation, which would .seek: (1) To build up European production and exports.

(2) To reduce the dollar deficit. (3) To reduce European trade barriers and suggest improving clearing arrangements within Europe. (4) To promote European economic and social well-being. Western German Zones Britain and France would propose that the three Western German zones should be associated with the plan.’ He added that if Germany were associated ‘with plan, Germany’s products and markets w&uld help European recovery. The French Foreign Minister (Mr Bidault) said that Europe, for the time being, was reduced to 16 countries, but he again invited Eastern Europe to collaborate in European reconstruction.

He said that Germany must take her place in the universe to be rebuilt, blit at present she must be represented at t l\^* conference by the delegates of the Allied occupation commanders. “The resources of this industrious, persevering nation should be associated with the reconstruction we have undertaken,” he said. . According to Reuter’s correspondent m Frankfurt, Western German observers are waiting “with their bags packed,” ready for an official invitation to attend the conference. “Invitations to the Germans and. to the British, American, and French occupation authorities,” be adds, “are confidently expected, and the delegates are reported to be already chosen. “In the absence of a peace treaty and a recognised German Government, the Germans can be admitted only as expe. ’ts and not as delegates.” The Frankfurt correspondent of the Associated Press reports that the French occupation authorities have announced that German representatives from the French zone will take place in the conference.

In Frankfurt the United States Military Governor, in Germany (General Lucius Clay) said that Germans from < n J* ish and American zone, if the Marshall Plan conference accepted them, would go as advisers to Paris, Sks they wou d not take part in the

»u ß . e lt er s correspondent in Paris says that there will probably be little opposition in the Conference to the British and French proposal to bring Western Germany into the planning organisa-

• He adds that a committee of officials proposes, to tackle practically the whole agenda in two closed sessions tonight. This is taken to indicate that there are no great differences of abol i t Germany or about the principles of continued co-operation. The second plenary session to-morrow will be asked.to approve the committees conclusions on both these points.