BRITISH GOING TO OTTAWA

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 138, 8 December 1945, Page 7

BRITISH GOING TO OTTAWA

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) Bee. 11 a.m. LONDON, December 7. The British representatives who played a leading- part in the Washington agreement are now on their way to Ottawa for preliminary talks about a Canadian dollar loan to Britain. The talks at Ottawa will be exploratory because the matter cannot be taken any further until the Canadian Parliament re-assembles early next year. Lord Keynes is not going to Ottawa, He has been at the White House today to take leave of President Truman and he sets out for London on Monday. The House of Commons today took the first step towards implementing the new plans for lowered trade barriers and expanding world commerce when they gave the first reading' to the Bretton Woods Agreement for the International Monetary .Fund and an International Bank. The -second reading' will be next week, on Thursday, and it is hoped that the House of Commons will finish with the Bill on Friday. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Commons will debate a motion in the name of the Prime Minister approving- the general conditions of the Washington loan and other aspects of the agreement. Two Conservative back benchers have tabled an amendment criticising the agreement on the grounds that among- other tilings it means a return to the gold standard, and the surrender of Imperial prefer-

ences.

The debate is expected to be a lively one and the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Foreign Secretary are likely to take part.