NORWAY COMING INTO NORTH ATLANTIC PACT

Grey River Argus, 19 February 1949, Page 5

NORWAY COMING INTO NORTH ATLANTIC PACT

Sweden’s Line Still Neutral ?

(Rec 10.40) LONDON. Feb 18. Norway has decided to reject Russia’s offer of a non-aqgression treaty; to abandon Scandinavian neutrality, and join the Atlantic Pact.

The Daily Express correspondent at Oslo says.—These decisions were taken at secret Cabinet meetings, after the Foreign Minister, Dr. Lange returned from his London and Washington visits on Wednesday. They were ratified on Thursday by the executive of the Socialist Party, which has a Government majority of two.

The party ratified th decision after hearing inside information from Dr. Lange on his talks with Mr Ernest Bevin and Mr Dean Acheson. But no official statement will be made until the Government reports to Parliament early next week. LONDON, February 18.

Speaking at the Youth Association meeting at Stockholm, the Swedish Prime Minister M. Tage Erlander said that it was easy to say that Sweden could not remain outside of a coming war, but the Swedish State powers did not share that view. He said. —"The time has not yet come however, to give everything up and merely wait for help from outside.’’’

TRUMAN’S FAITH IN ATLANTIC PACT AND U.S. ECONOMY

(Rec. 10.35) WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 Reaffirming his faith in the proposed North Atlantic Security Pact, President Truman said to-day that he still adhered to the views he had set out in his inaugural message to Congress on January 20. The President said he still thought that the United ■States, in conjunction with the other North Atlantic Powers could (in the words of his inaugural address) provide unmistakeable proof of the joint determination of the free countries to resist armed attack from any quarter. President Truman said that there was nothing mysterious about the proposed pact adding that the United States policy had been clearly expressed by Mr Dean Acheson,, yesterday. ... The President was optimistic about the United States economic outlook. He said that it had nothing to be alarmed about. He thought that the recent developments constituted a levelling-off. for which every one had been wishing.