TOWARDS WESTERN UNION

Chronicle (Levin), 5 March 1948, Page 5

TOWARDS WESTERN UNION

(N.'Z.P.A.—

-Reutei

Powerleeting

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Received Friday, 10.35 a.m. LONDON, March 4. • A cdmmunique issued in. Brussels after the Five Power me^ting there (of representatives of Britain, France and the Benelux counti'ies. •said that the three Benelux countries submitted a draft for an 'agreement, an exami'nation of Which revealed "great similarity betweeri the views of the five nations." It is understoo'd that the Benelux, proposals go far beyond the principles of the Dunkirk Treaty between Britain and France, ana of the Pan-American Union Agreement. The flenelux countries advise a close regional agreement, providing mutual assistance and peacefui settlenient between the ■3'ignatories, presumably by thc International Court of Justice at The Hague. The next Five Power meeting is tomorrow. In a message to the French Foreign Minister, M. Bidault, to mark the * anniversary day of the signing of the Anglo-French Dunkirk 'Treaty, the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Ernest Bevin, de•clared that the 'treaty proved a •strong stabilising f actor in a troubled world. "The past year's events have shown that we were building more solidly than we realised, and" that the alliance was to become ever •more necessary to Europe's peace and stability," said Mr. Bevin "W^ have now agreed that this deep Anglo-French friendship should be ejctended to other good neiglibours

111 tne West. We are working out a-form of Western Union which will, I am sure, save and re..invigorate the moral and material values of our Western civilisation:" M. Bidault, replying, stated that Great Britain and France were closely joine'd and must unite the free countries of Europe and, first of all, Western Europe.