BRITAIN AND E.E.C.

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29900, 14 August 1962, Page 17

BRITAIN AND E.E.C.

Campaign Against Joining

A strong personal feeling that Britain would not enter the European Common Market was expressed in Christchurch yesterday by Mr E D Butler, national director of the Australian League of Rights, who two weeks ago completed a five-weeks’ lecture tour of the United Kingdom. , Mr Butler said people with whom he spoke during that tonr had responded warmly, and had seemed impressed that Australians and New Zealanders were so vitally concerned in the EEC. discussions. “There had been a feeling that perhaps we on this side of the world didn’t care a hang.” he said. From his five weeks’ observations while in Britain. Mr Butler said, Britain’s entry into the Common Market seemed to be quite the most important political issue of the past decade, according to the reaction of the man in the street.

Mr Butler arrived in Christchurch yesterday from the North Island and is in the Dominion on a 10-weeks’ tour campaigning against Britain joining the Common Market When he gets home to Melbourne he will launch an inter-State campaign which is aimed to reach its climax as the Prime Minister (Mr Menzies) leaves for the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ conference in London Mr Butler said finance for his campaign had come from Australia and New Zealand The Australian League of Rights was formed in 1946. It supported no party but was definitely political Mr Butler is accompanied by another member of the league’s executive. Dr G Williams Last evening he addressed a public meeting in Christchurch on the subject of Britain and the E E C.