ANGLO-AMERICAN CO-OPERATION

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 104, 5 May 1933, Page 7

ANGLO-AMERICAN CO-OPERATION

MR. MACDONALD'S STATEMENT IN HOUSE PROBLEMS OF WORLD CONFERENCE FRANK DISCUSSION WITH PRESIDENT (British Official Wireless.) (Received May 5, noon.) RUGBY, May 4. The British Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDoriald, made a statement in the House of Commons today upon his recent conversations in Washington with President Roosevelt. He said that he had been anxious, first of all, to ascertain the President's views on the calling of an International Economic Conference, and, 'finding that they were agreed and that subsequently M. Herriot shared their opinion, they communicated with the Organisation Committee and June 12 had been fixed as the date for the meeting of the Conference. : TARIFF TRUCE POSITION The Prime Minister continued: "We discussed in some detail the subjects to be brought up at the Conference. These include questions of tariffs, quotas, exchange control, and stability of internav tional currency. "A tariff truce during the sittings of the Conference was also considered. Our purpose was to ascertain by intimate discussion what prospects there were of co-operation and not to come to definite agreements. We both shared the view that our respective countries should enter the Conference, which is now to meet so soon, with hands completely united. "The result of these exchanges of views and examination of the problem is most encouraging. In view of the controversy : which has arisen in reference to the suggestion of a tariff truce I felt it my duty to point out how different is the position of, a country* like our own from that of those which are already high tariff countries .with policies and economic defences already fully ' worked out and in operation. POLICY OF DISARMAMENT "I took the opportunity of putting before the President a full account of the broad policy of disarmament and as a result of our discussions we reached the common views which have been re-,-flected in effective co-operation between the British and American delegates in support of the Draft Convention now before the Disarmament Conference at Geneva. "We also discussed the' question of duties and frankly examined the problem in all its aspects. These exchanges of views were of particular importance as'they brought out in well-defined detail all the differences which had to be reconciled not only in the final settlement, but in the immediate handling of the question. Whilst I welcomed the idea of a truce during irthe period of the Conference, I made it plain that its application'would have to be subject to safeguard which the9e differences in • our positions required. This was considered to be reasonable. On this subject I can make no fuller statement at present as the matter has necessarily not yet reached the stage of agreement. As for the visit as a whole, while I wish to convey no exaggerated impression, I would say with confidence that the mutual understanding between ourselves and the American Government has been materially improved by the discussions whichl have had with the President, for whose friendly hospitality and unreserved helpfulness throughout all our deliberations the warmest thanks of the Government are due."' " ' ' . * ' •■■'''.■_ NEGATIVE ON WAR DEBTS The Prime Minister's Washington conversations and German questions will be debated next Tuesday!'and {the Prime Minister undertook to answer as far as possible any questions that might be then put to him. When asked whether the subject of war debts would come before the World Conference, he replied in the