FLOW OF OIL U.S. against force

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33650, 27 September 1974, Page 13

FLOW OF OIL U.S. against force

\\ \SI 11\( 11 ()\. September 2(). I he I nited States Defence Secretary i Mr Janies Schlesinger) has ruled out an) military action against \rab States to protect the flow of oil and counter rising prices. He told a press conference yesterday: “I do not anticipate there is going Io he a military conflict . . . We are not contemplating any action of that sort."

I Mr Schlesinger’s comments came after warnings earls [this week by both President Ford and the .Secretary of iState (Dr Henry Kissinger) that continued high prices jset by producer nations carry the risk of world depression and threaten the [breakdown of world order (and safety. Arab newspapers have treated the speeches as a threat to Arab sovereignty. On Tuesday, the Lebanese newspaper, "An-nahar," said I the United States was declaring an oil war on the Arab-

producing countries as if in an attempt to cover up the (Palestine case at the United Nations, "where America's position is difficult and critical.” Mr Schlesinger's statement came as American officials tried to defuse mounting ex pectation that a meeting of foreign and finance ministers of Britain, France. Japan. West Germany, and the United States would develop a joint consumer front (against the oil producers' cartel. They said that no action should be expected from the week-end meeting at Camp David, President Ford's mountain retreat near Washington. Their guidance came amid (increasing speculation that Dr Kissinger, who called the conference, was seeking to bring the consumers together to develop a joint response to the rising threat of oil prices while at the same time trying to isolate the Organisation of Petroleum Export ling Countries from the Third I World.