AVOIDING DISASTER

Chronicle (Levin), 1 November 1949, Page 5

AVOIDING DISASTER

(N.Z.P.A.-

— Reuter.

Western European Natiops Draft Trade Pian

Covvriaht)

Received Tuesday, 9.50 a.m. PARIS, Oct. 31. Western Europe s "Economic Cabinet" met tonight to draft a free trade resomtion answering the plea hf *the Marshall Plan Administrator, Mr. Paul Hoffman, to 'get together or face disaster." Those present were the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Stafford Cripps, the French Foreign Mlnister, M. Robert Schuman, and the Finance Mlnister, M. Petsche, _and representatives of Norway, olland, Italy, Belgium and PortuThe resolution will be submitted f°r approval to the eighteen-nation governing council of the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation tomorrow. The basis cf the trade resolution ls a proposal by Sir Stafford Cripps "to •) _ • n uy December 15 the trade restrictions on at least 50 per cent of urivate imports from -the reeovery programme nations. This relaxauon covers three categories of goods — foodstuffs and animal products, raw materials and manufactured goods. M. Schuman said that Mr. Hoffman's speech contained sound ideas and presented the Organisation for European Economic Co-opera-tion with a complete programme to work on. . Germany was represented for the first time at the meeting of the council bv Dr. Franz runecher, West German Vice-Chancellor.