CONFERENCE AT MONTREAL

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28701, 26 September 1958, Page 9

CONFERENCE AT MONTREAL

Four New Decisions Taken (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) MONTREAL, September 25. The 11 nations attending the Commonwealth trade and economic conference are today putting the finishing touches to a communique announcing the agreements they have reached on steps to strengthen sterling, increase world trade and counter Communist economic penetration. The communique will be presented tomorrow when the conference ends, after a fortnight, with a public session. 1 The delegates completed their sqbstantative discussions on the eight-point agenda yesterday.

The decisions which the nations have taken in principle are:— (1) To girdle the earth with an £BO million telegraph cable which will revolutionise communications in the next 10 years.

(2) To create a Commonwealth consultative economic council and establish a "Commonwealth house” in London.

(3) To set up an overseas research council to aid Commonwealth countries on scientific research. (4) To institute 1000 scholarships in an effort to improve teaching standards and technical knowledge.

Discussing the establishment of a Commonwealth economic consultative council, the British Commonwealth Relations Secretary (the Earl of Home) said yesterday that existing Commonwealth economic consultative institutions like the Commonwealth Economic Committee would now come under the "umbrella” of the council. The Commonwealth Economic Committee has a headquarters in London with a secretariat and carries out technical research in economic statistics and other financial and trading matters.

Lord Home, answering reporters’ questions, made it clear that the council being set up would not have executive powers and would not have any secretariat or director-general. He explained that the council could meet at both ministerial and official levels, in any part of the Commonwealth. It could concentrate on any aspects of Commonwealth economic financial, and trading affairs. He said the council would give a clear ideai to the Commonwealth’s peoples of the “continuing and expanding nature of Commonwealth consultations.’ * Speaking about the proposal to set up a “Commonwealth house” Lord Home explained that more and more Commonwealth business was being transacted in London on the economic and constitutional side.

He said the conference had generally approved that there should be a Commonwealth advisory development board or group under the council.

Some conference observers saw in this proposal a possible alternative to the shelved Commonwealth development bank idea. Lord Home said Commonwealth ministers or officials could reconsider the development bank project after next month's meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. This could be done in the light of any decisions which might be taken on the United States-spon-sored idea of an international development association.