Criticism of Trade With Russia

Chronicle (Levin), 4 March 1948, Page 5

Criticism of Trade With Russia

Jteceived Wednosday, 7 p.m. LOXl/oN, Alar. 3. Britain's trade agreement with llusoia was severely attaeked from Conservative benelies iji the Comutous last in ght. Eir David Robertson denounced the policy of supplyiug was poteiitia'J to a nation wliicli was livliax iny '' just short ot' war." and demanded that the agreement be called ofl'. Alr. Oliver Lyttelton, the ehief Opposition spokesman, said the i'resideut of the Bourd oi Tradvi had returned from Aloscow with a bsd bargain. What he did in effect, Alr.. Lytfelton said, was to sell Russia, in roturn for grain, a large rahge of "manufactured goods w hich represented the hardest currencv at our disposai and the source of badly needed dollars. AL-. Ha ro 1(1 Wilson, roplving, said priees paid for Russian barley, mai/.c and oats were about lialf the price the Opposition would have paid if they had been Imying in world markets on the basis of private trading. They were considerably below the higliest world jirices ruling at present, ineluding prices for grain in certain Oommonwealth markets. He. added that no credit was being advaneed to Russia. "In fact it is they who are lending us money bv the value of the grain we are getting until we pay it offi by goods." he said. Alr. Wilson announced that eleven countries would participate in 15)43 in tlie tolcen imports scheme. The piota lo'r each specilied commoditv would be 20 pcr eent. of tlie value of each matiufaetu i-er 's average trade with the I'nited Ivingdom in 15)30'/:;, 3. Token imfiorts include certain items of food, lrink, tobacco, potterv, glass, cutlery, tardware, electrical goods, footwear, •hemicals, drugs, Jeather goods, paper, •ardboard, manufactured oils, iron and deel manufactures. eotton and artiicial silk manufactures. Woollen nul worsted manufactures permitted ire wool tissues, damasks, tapestries, irocades, wool and mohair plushes and ither pile fabrics.