Britain’s Role In Free Trade Area

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28178, 17 January 1957, Page 9

Britain’s Role In Free Trade Area

(AI.Z Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, January 15. The Belgian Foreign Minister, Mr PaulHenri Spaak, told British Ministers in London today that he hoped that the sixnation treaties setting up a Customs Union in Western Europe would be signed at the end of next month.

Mr Spaak was attending a meeting presided over by Mr Peter Thorneycroft, the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how Britain would link with the planned common market in a partial free trade area.

A communique said that this exchange of views would facilitate discussions at the February meeting of the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (0.E.E.C.).

Mr Harold Macmillan, the New Prime Minister, was present at the meeting for a time and tonight had a separate meeting with Mr Spaak. When he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Macmillan outlined to Parliament last November the scheme for a free trade area in Europe in which Britain and other countries would reduce and finally remove tariffs and other restrictions within the area, on ail goods other than foodstuffs.

This would create a common market of 250,000,000 people, and be developed alongside the sixnations Custom Union.

Mr Thorneycroft emphasised that Britain,'because of her Commonwealth commitments, would be unable to join a free trade area unless it could be agreed that foodstuffs would be excluded.

If West European nations could not agree to the exclusion of foodstuffs, Britain would be unable to go ahead, Mr Thorney croft said.

O.E.E.C. Plan For Petrol

(Rec. 9 p.m.) PARIS, January 15.

A plan to share the burden of Europe's oi] shortage was launched tonight by the 17-nation organise tion for European Economic Cooperation and the major international oil companies.

The basis of the scheme is that oil deliveries to each member country will be reduced by an equal percentage, the balance going to form a reserve of 200.000 tons every 10 days.

This reserve will be at the disposal of the O.E.E.C. oil committee to meet cases of special need, such as in Scandinavian countries, Italy, Greece,' and Turkey.

Soviet Attache Expelled >

WASHINGTON. January 15 The United States Government has expelled an assistant Soviet military attache. Major Yuri Krylov, it was announced today In a note delivered last night to the Soviet Embassy, the State Department declared Major Krylov persona non grata and demanded his immediate departure.

The allegations against Major Krylov, given in an official statement. were:

(1) He engaged in activities incompatible with his diplomatic status by buying electronic equipment through United States intermediaries. [The State Department would not say whether action was being taken against the United States citizens described as intermediaries.]

(2) He attempted to purchase classified military information (The State Department also refused to answer questions on this point.] The State Department spokesman (Mr Lincoln White) would not say whether the equipment in question had been recovered.

Other official sources said that the electronic equipment was not licensed for export but they, too, declined to identify the equipment.

U.S. Drought Relief

(Rec. 11 p.m.) WICHITA (Kansas). Jan 15. President Eisenhower announced today that he will ask Congress to approve a programme to continue and expand emergency drought relief measures. The President’s announcement was made soon after he arrived in Wichita after a tour of southwestern drought areas. Mr Eisenhower returned to Washington tonight by air.

SUPPORT BY U.S.

Promise Given Of Backing

(Rec. 9 p.m.) WASHINGTON, January 15

The United States Government today promised to support the proposed six-nation European Common Market plan if it holds a promise of expanding international trade. Representatives of six nations are negotiating in Brussels to establish the common market and free trade area.

It would eliminate almost all trade barriers among the six nations and establish a common external tariff toward outside countries.

The members would be Belgium, France. West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Britain also has indicated a desire to join in part of the plan.

SEIZURE BY EGYPT

British-Owned Firms

CAIRO, January 15. Egypt today nationalised British and French banks and insurance companies and announced that she would take over those of other countries within five years An “Egyptianisation” law rules that banks and insurance firms must be run by Egyptian companies and be administered by people who are Egyptian by birth.

The announcement was issued by the Government-sponsored Middle East News Agency, which said that banks, insurance companies and commercial firms “belonging to the enemy,” which were sequestrated after the British and French attacks on Port Said, would become the property of a newly-formed economic institute

The Egyptian Government would pay fair compensation to the administration, which had taken them over, the agency said.

Benefits From H-Bomb Study

(Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, January 15.

'lncidental benefits of research into harnessing the hydrogen bomb reaction for industrial power may soon begin to accrue. Dr. William Libby, a member of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, said today.

Dr. Libby said that this was so even although it seemed clear that there was little chance of success in the immediate future in the main quest.

In an address at a ceremony marking the dedication of an atomic research reactor at the Naval Research Laboratory. Dr Libby said that as a result of the research, the properties of matter at the extreme temperatures necessary to fusion reactions among the hydrogen isotopes were beginning to be understood.