Big Quantities Of Argentine Meat For Britain Likely

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22888, 7 March 1949, Page 6

Big Quantities Of Argentine Meat For Britain Likely

(11 a.m.) LONDON, Mar. 6. A big and mutually advantageous agreement is almost certain to result from the Anglo-Argentine trade talks now taking place in Buenos Aires, says Reuter's financial correspondent.

The absence of worthwhile British comment on the talks so far reflects an air of unreality which will hang over the negotiations until the Argentine economic crisis is solved. A trade agreement with Britain may help towards ending this crisis.

Under the final agreement Britain will no doubt get large quantities of argentine meat, maize and linseed oil at reasonable prices. Argentina will probably get large quantities of British goods judiciously divided into those she wants and those which Britain is most anxious to sell.

On both sides some, though not all, of the prices will doubtless be artificial in the sense that each side will complain that it could have bought more cheaply in the United Slates if it had the dollars. Thu* Britain wil have to pay a little more than the United States price for maize, though certainly not for meat. Argentina will have to do the same for British coal, but not for many types of machinery. If both sides display restraint Washington may consent to “lubricate” the agreement by a small injection of Marshall aid dollars, though certainly not as many as Argentina needs.