ALLIED CO-OPERATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 121, 18 November 1939, Page 13

ALLIED CO-OPERATION

THE WAR CAMPAIGN

MILITARY AND ECONOMIC

JOINT STATEMENT

BRITISH AND FRENCH PREMIERS

(British Official Wireless.) (Received November 18; 11.20 a.riu)]

RUGBY, November 17.

A meeting of the Supreme War Council was held in London today* It was attended by M. Daladier, Marshal Gamelin, Admiral Darlan, and Air Marshal Vuillemin for France, and Mr. Chamberlain, Lord Halifax, Lord Chatfield (Minister for Co-ordination of Defence), and Sir Kingsley "Wood (Air Secretary)] for Britain.

The council passed in review the military situation and its possible further development. Complete agreement was reached on the best ■method for the combined employ- •

ment of the French and British forces for- the most effective conduct of operations.,

A joint statement.issued by the British and French Prime Ministers says: "With a View to making full use of the experience gained in the year* 1914-18, the British and French Goyernments decided from • the outset of . the war to co-ordinate in the fullest possible manner the economic, war effort of the two countries. Immediate ~ steps were taken at the outbreak of . the war., with' this object. Iri . pursuance of decisions reached by Mr. Chamberlain and M. Daladier at tha

last meeting of the Supreme War Council, the arrangements which had already been put into effect by the , two" Governments have now been, strengthened and , completed in . such ways as to ensure common action in the following fields—air, munitions , : / ' and raw materials, oil, food, shipping,' and economic warfare

"The new measures adopted by tha two Governments will pro vide JL or, the ' best use in the common interest of . the resources of both countries in ra\v materials, means. of production, toil- . nage, and so on. They will also pro* vide for equal 'distribution between' _. them of any. limitations, should cireuni- ■:'); stances render necessary reduction 6f .; . the programmes of •imports. . ■'...-■-

"The two countries will in future • draw up their import programmes jointly and will avoid competition in, purchases which they have "to mak«s ? abroad in carrying out those ' pro-,'. \ grammes. , . , ," "The execution of these tasks has been entrusted to permanent Anglo- -" - French executive committees, which are being set up immediately. Agree- • ments reached can, if required, be ex- . tended to other fields. They afford- ~ further evidence of the determination, of the two countries to co-ordinate their war efforts to the fullest possible , . extent. , ~, " " »>, "By this means arrangements have %- been1 carried into .effect two months _- , after the beginning of hostilities for the organisation of common action Byv ■-- the two countries which was only ' ' achieved during the last conflict at-th©' - j end of the third year.".- ''.'{■ '