Bevin Opens Talks On Marshall Plan

Northern Advocate, 16 March 1948, Page 3

Bevin Opens Talks On Marshall Plan

LONDON, Mon. (10 a.m.). —The British Foreign Secretary (Mr Ernest Bevin) opened the conference in Paris this afternoon of the 16 nations who will receive United States aid under the Marshall Plan. Britain, he said, was willing to participate p in permanent machinery for European economic,cooperation. The traditional friendship between the United Kingdom and other British Commonwealth counties would be maintained, however.

The British Government could not see any grounds for conflict in that field. Tw 0 wars had meant f<sr Europe nearly 30 years of struggle, interwoven with economic disorder, he continued. The Western Countries would not have been doing their duty if they had refused to give a constructive answer t 0 the United States offer of aid. While Marshall aid had been the subject of long investigation and px'otracted debate in the United States, the 16 European nations attending the conference had been striving to lay the foundations of recovery.

Associated Press reports that the French occupation authorities announced that German representatives from the French zone would take part in the conference.

Reuters Paris correspondent says it is learned that re-establishment of a regular, unhampered flow of goods among European countries and acceleration of production will be the main points which the Benelux countries will make at the conference.

They base their argument on thensix months’ experience of the working of the agreement on payments which they reached with France and Italy during the first Marshall Plan conference in Paris last summer. CLEARING ARRANGEMENT This established a clearing arrangement for the five countries through the Bank of International Settlements in Berne. A high Belgian official said it was found that the clearing agreement had the effect of “multiplying by five.” For example, if, under the Marshall Plan, one of the five countries received £250,000 and put it into circulation in the form of goods, this amount, when it had completed its circuit to the country which initially used it, would have been used five times and financed £ 1,250,000 ' worth of trade. Benelux officials will urge that this agreement should be extended to become a European clearing house —in fact the instrument for application of the Marshall Plan. LITTLE OPPOSITION Reuters Paris correspondent says there will probably be little opposition in the Marshall Plan conference to the British and French proposal to bring Western Germany into the planning organisation of European recovery. The committee of officials proposes to tackle practically the whole agenda in two closed sessions tonight, which is taken to indicate that there are no great differences of opinion about Germany or about the principles of continued cooperation. The second plenary session tomorrow will be asked to approve the committee’s conclusions on both these points. In Frankfurt tonight the United States Military Governor of Germany (General Clay) said that Germans from the Anglo-American zone, if the Marshall Plan conference accepted them, would go as advisers to Paris, but would not take part in the talks. Reuters Frankfurt correspondent says that in the absence of a peace treaty and a recognised German Government, Germans could be admitted only as experts, not as delegates.

They had many handicaps and difficulties to surmount, but he was more hopeful now than at any time during or since the war. NEEDS FROM DOLLAR AREAS

“The progress report to the conference emphasises that we cannot prevent deterioration of our economics, unless, we obtain in the near future, food and raw materials from the dollar areas ” Mr Bevin continued The conference would establish what he called “the continuing organisation.” This organisation would seek: (1) To build up European production and exports. (2) To reduce the dollar deficit. (3) To reduce European trade barriers and suggest ijnproved clearing arrangements within Europe. . (4) To promote European economic and social well-being. Mr Bevin said Britain and France would propose that the three WesternGerman zones should be associated with the plan. If Germany was associated with the plan, Germany’s products and markets would help European recovery. GERMANY’S RESOURCES

M. Bidault (France) said that Europe, for the time being, was reduced to 16 countries, but he again invited Eastern Europe to collaborate in European reconstruction. Germany, he said, must take her place in the universe to be rebuilt, but at present she must be represented at the conference by delegates of the Allied occupation commanders. “The resources of this industrious, persevering nation should be associated with reconstruction we have undertaken,” he said. According to Reuters messages from Frankiurt, Western-German observers are waiting “with their bags packed,” ready for an official invitation to attend the conference. INVITATIONS. EXPECTED

Invitations to the Germans and to British, American and French occupation authorities are confidently expected and the delegates are reported to have already been chosen. The Frankfurt correspondent of the