West European Defence: London Talks

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 March 1949, Page 7

West European Defence: London Talks

LONDON, March 14

It is believed that the Western Union Consultative Committee, which will meet in London today, will begin to prepare fresh estimates of defence needs under the Atlantic Pact. Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, and Luxemburg wish to be ready to make collective estimates of their defence needs by the time the military aid programme under the Atlantic Pact is reviewed in Washington in April. Six Benelux Ministers arrived at London airport last night from Amsterdam to attend the talks. They are the Belgian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (M. Paul Spaak), Luxemburg’s Prime Minister (M. Pierre Dupong) and Foreign Minister (M. Joseph Bech), and three Netherlands Ministers—Dr D. U. Stikker, the Foreign Minister, Professor Peiter Lieftinck, the Finance Minister, and Dr W. F. Schokking, the Defence Minister.

Belgium’s Foreign Minister (M. Arthur Bastin) arrived later from Brussels. The French delegation, headed by the Foreign Minister (M. Robert Schuman), left Paris by train last night. Denmark’s . Prime Minister (Mr Hans Hedtoft), speaking at Odense, said that a referendum on whether the country should join the Atlantic i Pact could not be held. “No free ■ country has ever held a referendum .on a matter such as this,” he said. “The correct way is to let Parliament make the decision.’’ The Prime Ministers and oiher Ministers of Belgium, Luxemburg, and the Netherlands have ended their conference at The Hague on economic co-operation. A statement which has been, issued by the three Foreign’. Ministers reports that the three countries will administer a policy of free production, distribution, and consumption. Subsidies will be adopted as a means of encouraging economic co-opera-tion. Provisional economic union is due to start next July, and complete union a year later. A Ministerial commission will investigate trade policies, and a commission of experts will discuss canal and water,vvays problems and will report on Benelux industries. Customs formalities will be eased immediately. The Belgian Prime Minister (M. Spaak) explained that when provisional economic union came into effect certain goods could be freely traded among the three countries, but that controls would remain on others.