Deciding On U.K’s E.E.C. Bid

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31500, 14 October 1967, Page 13

Deciding On U.K’s E.E.C. Bid

( N .Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) PARIS, Oct. 13. President de Gaulle will meet his leading Ministers on Monday to decide France’s attitude to Britain’s application to join the Common Market. The French position will be put to the other Common Market members at their Luxembourg meeting on October 23 and 24. . According to sources close to the Presidency, the French attitqde to Britain’s application will be determined by the belief in Paris that the United Kingdom is not yet in a position to join without seriously disturbing the functioning and future develop ment of the Common Market.

An official announcement of the French position may be made after the regular weekly meeting of the full Cabinet next Wednesday. WITHIN 5 YEARS Even the French, the least optimistic members of the Common Market, believe that Britain will be a member ot the European Economic Community within five years. Reporting this finding from an analysis of Gallup polls, the London magazine “European Community” says that in France those members of the “elite” who favour British membership outnumber by 12 to one those who oppose it “The Dutch are the most optimistic about how long <t would take Britain to become a member. They think, on average, three years. The French estimate five years." The magazine says that in

Britain “elite” opinion—such as bankers, professional people, men and women listed

in ‘Who’s Who'—is overwhelmingly in favour of Britain joining the community. Common Market exports to Russia increased by 81 per cent to SUS299m in the year to June 30, while exports to Britain rose only nine per cent in the same period. This is revealed in statistics released in Brussels by the community. The Common Market’s imports from Russia rose from SUS337m from June 30, 1966, to SUS363m to the same date this year.

Unusual Name.—E ar 1 Mountbatten’s long association with India has been commemorated in an unusual fashion. His younger daughter, Lady Pamela Hicks, aged 38, the wife of decorator, David Hicks, has named their five-week-old daughter, India. —London, October 13.