British Imports Assured By American Aid

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22821, 16 December 1948, Page 5

British Imports Assured By American Aid

(10 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 15. The British Government, in a report covering the first six months of the European recovery programme ending on September 30, stated that the start of the Marshall Aid Plan had not brought striking changes, but had enabled Britain to maintain imports and proceed with development plans. Britain’s total imports in six months were £1,070,750,000. Payments which qualified or were expected to qualify for Marshal aid were £143.500.000. Of this sum, Britain claimed only £74,250,000 from the Economic Cooperation Administration and was paid £63,250,000. Thus Marshall aid actually paid for only 6 per cent, of Britain’s total imports in the half-year and was expected to pay for a further 7J per cent.

Britain Denies Misuse Of E.R.P. Funds

(10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 15. British officials denied a report by the Economic Co-operation Administration that Britain had resold to American buyers new aluminium and lead scrap bought with E.R.P. funds. The officials said, however, that in 1948 about 1000 tons of secondary aluminium remelted scrap) had been sold to the United States at market prices to enable the melters to retain pre-war markets. Officials stated that Britain recently agreed to forego one-third of her normal aluminium purchases from Canada in order to allow American users to obtain greater supplies.