Menzies, Marshall ‘Within Rights’

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29842, 7 June 1962, Page 13

Menzies, Marshall ‘Within Rights’

(' A’ .Z .P.A .-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, June 6. The Australian Prime Minister (Mr Menzies) and the New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) were “well within their rights in protesting against the first technical agreement last week on Commonwealth manufactured imports to Britain,” savs “The Times.”

In an editorial, the newspaper said: “The Commonwealth interest must be kept alert. At the same time the provisional solution reached in Brussels gives hope for the more important issues to follow.

“The Six conceded one or two important points and the result (allowing a slower time-table and broader categories than expected, as well as two reviews) showed that a certain amount of give and take is possible. The transitional period of seven years was hopeful. "As has been clear from the start, the testing time will come when '.he problem of Commonwealth foodstuffs has to be faced If the transitional period can be- pushed beyond 1970 in this case too, much will have been gained. “The fears of the Six are that anything that pushes guarantees too far ahead will tend to freeze the trade pattern permanently." The “Daily Telegraph” said that for Commonwealth countries the answer to the problems posed by possible British entry into the Common Market “lies in recognising that the world is their market and that there is no great future for them in the limited British market alone or in a narrowly-based preferential system. “The British task is to help the growing Commonwealth countries on their way by doing everything to ensure that Europe’s door is pushed wide open to goods from the Commonwealth countries. “For this British and Commonwealth leaders are campaigning and must continue to campaign relentlessly." said “The Times.”

The “Daily Mirror” said that British elements opposing Common Market entry "know more about propaganda than this Conservative Government would learn if they stayed in power for another 10 years.” The newspaper called for “some fire and spirit.” adding: "The Prime Minister must put the case for joining the Common Market boldly, clearly, to the nation which voted him into power. We're waiting ifrr Macmillan. Impatiently." Mr Menzies, who arrived m London a week ago today, has made some apparent gains in his intensive round of talks with British leaders. Australian sources said.

They expected that the full-scale two-day debate opening today in the House of Commons would reflect some of the reported progress. These sources speculated that Britain’s chief Common Market negotiator (Mr Heath! might clarify the status of agreements to

emerge from the talks at Brussels.

Mr Menzies was believed to have expressed concern lest these agreements be regarded as hard-and-fast decisions that could make the September conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers unnecessary. Australian sources said the point emerging from the talks in London was that the agreements would have a “tentative quality" requiring a “stamp” from the Commonwealth’s Prime Ministers after Britain had gained all the terms it could to enter the market. This, they said, was an advance compared with earlier fears that Australia and other countries would be faced with accomplished facts settling the future df their vital farm exports. Today Mr Menzies will confer with the Home Secretary (Mr Butler).