AUSTRIAN OIL

Grey River Argus, 19 September 1945, Page 5

AUSTRIAN OIL

SOVIET, DEVELOPMENT. ' AGREEMENT HELD UP. (Rec. 9.30). LONDON, Sept.'lB. A Vienna correspondent of “The Times” stated: At the request of the Renner Austrian Government, the signing of the proposed oil agreement between Austria and Russia has been postponed. The agreement proposes that the oilfields of Austria shall be developed by the Russians. The proposed agreement has aroused concern in Britain and the United States. The correspondent adds that it has been stated in Vienna that the postponement is in no way attributable to the concern aroused in Britain or America. U.S.A.—BRITISH OIL CONFERENCE. (Rec. 11.0) 'LONDON, Sept. 18. The American administrator, Mr Ickes, was interviewed in London before he had a meeting with Messrs Shinwell and Dalton, British Ministers, to-day to discuss the Middle East oil. He< said he hoped to see an .agreement between Britain and America, which would include other nations and would become international. He added: “but we do not contemplate the control of prices or of production. The more competitive that these are, the more the United States Will be pleased.” He was asked if there were any proposal to place the oil reserves of the world at the disposal of the United Nations. Mr Ickes said: “I know that the American oil industry would not be prepared to subject itself to any organisation.” Mr Ickes will submit to Messrs Shinwell and Dalton a re-draft of a British-Ameri-can oil agreement made in August. The re-draft to meet objections by American Senators.