NORWAY’S LEANING TO ATLANTIC PACTAND THE OBSTACLES

Grey River Argus, 16 February 1949, Page 5

NORWAY’S LEANING TO ATLANTIC PACT—AND THE OBSTACLES

(Rec. 10.20). LONDON, February 15. The Norwegian Foreign Minister, M. Lange, yesterday conferred with the British Foreign Secretary. M. Lange stated that one of the purposes of his talks with Mr Bevin yesterday was to examine what obligations the countries that were taking part in the mutual assistant pact for the Atlantic area would have to accept, and what support they could expect, in return, in the event of attack.

M. Lange said that, during his American visit, the United States Government had assured him that it had not been, and it was not the intention of the Western Powers to ask for bases on Norwegian territory.

M. Lange said that in all of his talks he had emphasised the disadvantages of any solution that involved Norway going one way and the other Scandinavian countries going another way. . No Government involved m tne proposed North Atlantic Pact discussions had vet committed itself to any military obligations. Hon Hector McNeil, Minister of State, told Parliamlnt Left-wing Labour member, Mr Emrys Hughes had asked what British proposals had been made to the United States about the inclusion of military aid provisions in the Atlantic Pact and the conditions to be fulfilled before the pact came into force. The Foreign Secretary, Mr Bevin, conferred to-day with Norway s Foreign Minister, Dr. Lange.