DEFENCE TREATY FOR EUROPE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26986, 11 March 1953, Page 9

DEFENCE TREATY FOR EUROPE

German Court Defers Legality Decision

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, March 10. The decision of the Federal Constitutional Court at Karlsruhe that it was not at the moment competent to decide whether the European Defence Community agreements conflict in any way with the constitution, means that Dr. Adenauer’s Government has a chance of ratifying the agreements on March 19, when the final reading of the Ratification Bills is due to take place, says the Bond correspondent of the “Manchester Guardian.” “The Court refuses to intervene in any matter which is related to legislation still under consideration,” says the correspondent, who says that Dr. Adenauer will “almost certainly” succeed in getting the' agreements ratified.

"The significant question still outstanding is how will the Karlsruhe Court react to the plea, after the ratification of the agreements, that German rearmament is contrary to the Federal Constitution and therefore requires the approval of two-thirds of the members of Parliament? “For the basic facts still are that the European Defence Agreement will get only a small majority in Parliament and that probably only a minority of the German people wants this agreement at present. “The coalition' parties believe that the Court will be able to evade this issue, partly out of an instinct of selfpreseryation and partly because it will not wish to act in opposition to the will of Parliament.” BRITON HELD IN HUNGARY EXCHANGE MAY BE CONSIDERED (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, March 9 The reprieve of Lee Meng, the Chinese woman prisoner in Malaya, means that the British Government can consider the Hungarian offer of the release of the British business man, Mr Edgar Sanders, in exchange for Lee Meng. The Prime Minister (Mr Churchill) is expected to make a statement in the House of Commons tomorrow. On March 2, Mr Churchill said he would not interfere with Malayan justice and he refused to barter the life of Lee Meng for Mr Sanders, but he added that the decision did not exclude further consideration once the question of the capital sentence was resolved. Some quarters favour seizing the opportunity to free Mr Sanders whose wife called at the Foreign Office last week to plead for all aid in securing her husband’s release. BRISBANE WOOL SALE (Rec. 11.50 p.m.) BRISBANE, March 10 There was a full clearance of 14,500 bales submitted at the Brisbane wool sales today. Competition was again keen and widespread, with Japan, Britain and the Continent the chief buyers. Values for all descriptions were very firm at yesterday’s opening rates. In the greasy section the top Drice was 138 id. realised for eight bales from the New England district of New South Wales.