British P.M. Reassured

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32209, 30 January 1970, Page 13

British P.M. Reassured

(N.Z.P. A.-Renter—Copyright) WASHINGTON,. January 29.

The British Prime Minister (Mr Wilson) flew home from Washington today believing that President Nixon’s tight fiscal and monetary policies are unlikely to cause a recession and harm the British economy. Mr Wilson’s cautious optimism about the President’s ability to deflate the overheated United States economy without a slump which could spread across the Atlantic, was one of the main points to emerge from his exploratory visit to Washington.

The Prime Minister had long talks with Mr Nixon during a two-day review of world problems, including the continuing crisis in the Middle East, the Vietnam War, and the United States Administration’s gradually - unfolding policy on reducing American involvement, not only in Asia, but in Europe and other areas.

But Washington observers believe that nothing gave Mr Wilson more satisfaction than the judgment he reached that there was little in Mr Nixon’s policies which immediately endangered Britain’s improving economy as a General Election draws near. The President and Mr Wilson obviously thought that their talks—their third summit in less than a year—had been successful.

In formal exchanges, both spoke of the close and

friendly relations between Britain and the United States; and Mr Nixon went out of his way to emphasise that he regarded Mr Wilson as a personal friend. Their talks produced little hard news. Officials stressed that the White House review, apart from the problem of Nigerian, relief, was keyed to a long-term look at the problems of the decade ahead, and was not expected to produce headlines. One of the features of Mr Wilson’s visit was Mr Nixon’s invitation to him to attend

a meeting yesterday of the National Security Council, the President’s super-secret, top-level advisory group on foreign policy and security affairs.

The meeting dealt with N.A.T.O. affairs, European security and the prospects for improving East-West relations.

The Prime Minister joined the debate, and was not simply an observer. No other foreigner before Mr Wilson had attended a formal session of the National Security Council.