Talks Opening In Ceylon, Rhodesia

Press, Volume C, Issue 29557, 5 July 1961, Page 15

Talks Opening In Ceylon, Rhodesia

IN 7..P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, July 4. Two British Ministers today start testing the feeling in Southern Rhodesia and Ceylon towards Britain’s entry into the Common Market.

The Labour Minister (Mr John Hare) arrives in Salisbury today for talks which arc crucially important for the Rhodesian Federation's future

At best the federation—comprising Southern and Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland—stands to gain a bigger market for its raw materials and a share in the general expansion of trade should Britain join the "Six." At worst she would lose valuable preferences for her tobacco and other exports One federal official said this would be a "very serious step” and have a big effect on the Rhodesian economy.

Immediately after arriving from West Africa. Mr Hare will go into a conference, probably with the Federal Minister of Economic Affairs (Mr John Caldicott) and other Ministers.

He is also expected to meet the Federal Prime Minister (Sir Roy Welensky) before leaving for London tomorrow night. Ceylon’s Views The Aviation Minister (Mr Peter Thorneyeroft) arrives in Colombo by air from Singapore today to seek Ceylon’s views. He will face detailed questions from Ceylonese Ministers anxious to know exactly how the link would affect Ceylon's major exports of tea, rubber and coconut producte. Commerce Ministry officials said the discussions would be entirely exploratory. Ceylon had no fixed views so far about such a British move, but was anxious to discover in detail how the island's trade would be affected Te® planting officials said they feared such a link might seriously affect Ceylonese tea exports to Britain In Brussels mlnicte.i from the six European Common Market nations last night .1° until the end of the year their decision on whether to speed up the Market s integration, a

The source also said a decision will be taken at the same time whether the Community of the Six—France. West Germany. Italy. Belgium. Holland, and Luxembourg—are ready to pass into the second of the three four-year stages on the road to full integration provided under the Rome Treaty.

source close to the Ministerial Council said.