PROBABLE AGENDA FOR TALKS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25903, 8 September 1949, Page 5

PROBABLE AGENDA FOR TALKS

for the Washington! ~ has been prepared by a pre- , conference of experts of the i * Powers concerned, but has still ' J formally adopted at the opening mam conference to-day. The is authoritatively understood] Gvide for the following matters:— | remarks by the " r -ers on the scope of the talks, this item, the chief question of <,* whether the talks will be • to financial questions, or I they will be enlarged to in- I J such political and diplomatic as economic and financial sup- • areas, such as Asia, which are i sued by Communist expansion, appraisal of the balance of. _y-ts difficulties between the dol- I 1 ’"d sterling areas, and a consid- I I > r ”- of what measures may be j I ; remedy these difficulties i by Britain and the United j | 5 °n the one hand, and by Briffl Canada on the other; and on ' basis by all three coun- - 1 -a general discussion of the long- | I outlook for the sterling area, in- ;

| eluding its prospective dollar earnings; j production; employment levels; tariff I procedures; shipping and agricultural j policies; and thp effect of subsidies, whether in the form of Government i contracts for shipping or of agricul- | tural price supports. j 14) An appraisal of the possibilities .. of economic development and investi ment in the sterling area countries and the implementation of President Tru- ' man’s four-point programme to enj courage the investment of American capital in such areas. 15) A discussion of the possibilities ! of instituting an American programme iof stockpiling primary products ob- | tainable in the sterling area, such as . rubber, tin, and jute I <6> Consideration of ways in which the International Monetary Fund can j assist in resolving the dollar problem i and stabilising currency including rej newed drawings upon the International Fund by Britain and other’ • Marshall Plan countries. (7) Basic conditions for a return to] I multilateral trade and to the general | convertibility into dollars of sterling • and other currencies.