U.S. apologises to Thatcher

Press, 10 March 1982, Page 8

U.S. apologises to Thatcher

NZPA London The United States yesterday apologised to Britain over the premature release of details of President Reagan’s forthcoming visit to Britain. The Foreign Office said it had received an apology, but refused to say how it was made, or in what terms. It is likely, however, that • the message came through the American Embassy in London. The announcement came after hurried attempts to cool the row over reports from America that the President will address both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall on June 8. The President will be only the second non-British head of State to make such an address. De Gaulle was the first. The Opposition had been kept in the dark about the planned speech, and Mrs Thatcher and the Foreign Secretary (Lord Carrington) had a special meeting with the Opposition leader, Michael Foot, in the Prime Minister’s room at the Commons in a bid to smooth ruffled feathers. The Labour leader himself had heard about the speech for the first time on the radio. The Speaker of the House of Commons (Mr George Thomas) also bowed to pressure from outraged Labour members — who felt the Americans had pre-empted Parliament’s right to extend such a prestige statement — and promised a “short statement” to the full House. But he could not say when. “I take time to consider these matters,” he said. At her 35-minute meeting with Mr Foot, Mrs Thatcher made it clear the Government had put up only a tentative proposal to the White House that President

Reagan should address both Houses of Parliament. The Opposition leader, for his part, made it clear he was against inviting the President. He apparently told Mrs Thatcher that he had nothing personal against the President, but the Opposition regarded him as a fairly undistinguished President, who was only at an early stage in his term. Mr Foot made the point that no previous American President had been offered this honour, and he personally was against it. Mrs Thatcher and Lord Carrington said they took the view that President Reagan was an important ally, who had been invited to this country. They were apparently, taken aback by the strength of Mr Foot’s opposition to the whole plan. Now, Mrs Thatcher will write formally to Mr Foot setting out just what the Government has proposed, and the Labour leader is going to raise the matter at the shadow Cabinet. Before the American apology reached London, embarrassed White House officials had been at pains to try to cool the row by saying there had been, no official announcement about details of the visit. A White House press spokesman said the details which caused the present furor had s come from an interview in the “Los Angeles Times” . with the White House deputy chief of staff, Michael Deaver, who is one of the officials organising the visit. Buckingham Palace was earlier also understood to be put out by comments by Mr Deaver that the President was looking forward to “getting in some horse riding” during his two-day stay at Windsor Castle.