NEGOTIATIONS LIKELY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18331, 24 February 1934, Page 5

NEGOTIATIONS LIKELY

BRITAIN AND FRANCE NEW TRADE AGREEMENT A CONCILIATORY NOTE (British Official Wireless.) Rec. 10 a.m. RUGBY, Feb. 23. The French Government’s reply to the British note on quotas and trade negotiations is being subjected to a careful study. It is understood that it is,conciliatory in tone and opens up a prospect of negotiations between the British and French Governments for the conclusion of a new ti;ade treaty being begun in the near future.

It will be recalled that two stipulations were laid down in the recent British note, namely, that tho French Government' should carry out the undertaking at an early date to s’ecure’the removal of differentiation against Britain, and- that 'it should, in the meantime, take no further steps to reduce quotas for United Kingdom goods, including coal, entering Fiance. The acceptance of these stipulations by the French Government would imply that the opening of negotiations is contemplated, with the French quotas being retained in Iheir revised form, and .the British measure of retaliation remaining in force.

Speaking at Glasgow, Sir John Simon mentioned thfit after what ’ftp as a'long,, atid'ia some ’ways very unhappy, controversy with tho French, there was every prospect of negotiations now going to he entered into with tlie goodwill of both countries for new commercial arrangements.