‘Thwarted By One Man’

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30044, 31 January 1963, Page 11

‘Thwarted By One Man’

(N 2JPA .-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, January 29. Britain’s chief Common Market negotiator, Mr Edward Heath, said tonight in a 8.8. C. television interview recorded in Brussels that there was some bitterness that the negotiations had been “stopped in this way.”

He said: “We shall not turn our hacks on Europe or the countries of the European Community. We have been immensely encouraged and heartened by the support we have received from Ministers of the five countries.

•‘This is not a moment of despair. These negotiations have not been brought to an end because we could not reach a solution but because of political reasons by one country.

•This may have been done because the talks were so close to success at the time.” Mr Heath said.

At a press conference tonight, Mr Heath said: “The end of the negotiations is a blow to the cause of that wider European unity for which we have been striving.

“Five countries and the Common Market’s Commission have said publicly that all problems in the negotiations were capable of solutions. I share that view.

“We have been greatly encouraged by the tact that our conception of Europe is shared by five other countries of the community. Five governments and ourselves all wished to continue the cegotiations and bring them to a successful conclusion.

The high hopes of so many have thus been thwarted, tor political reasons. at the will of one man. “We entered these negotiations 16 months ago la good faith and have endeavoured strenuously to reach s successful conclusion. Ve have worked closely together tor the last 16 months."

’i London the Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan) assured th- House of Commons he would make a statement at the earliest possible moment on Britain's effort—now reported to have failed—to join the Common Market

Mr Macmillian faced a barrage of questions and interjections about the Common Market and President de Gaulle.

At the end. he said: “1 do not think it is humiliating to feel that five out of six countries are on our side, and when we have the sympathy and support of all Europe, and of all the free world.’*

Mr Macmillan is expected to make a television and radio broadcast after Mr Heath reports to Parliament on his ret ,rn from Brussels. The Acting-Leader of the Labour Party (Mr George Brown) said there was an unhappy feeling that “we were hanging around while everyone else was discussing the matter. ’’ The Labour Party, through its foreign affairs spokesman <Mr Harold Wilson) called on the Government to Seek a Commonwealth conference to plan future trade. The Liberal Party, a cham(riou of Common Market membership, said the GovernmroTXt take considerabie Name for the failure. Efforts must be made to keep the door to Europe open. Moanwtuie Britain should seek to mtttate negotiations tor a general increase to world trade . Informed sources cautioned against expectations that foe Government would now disclose some ambitious alternative scheme to membership. The sources lent no support to speculation that there might be an early merting of Commonwealth leaders.