TRADE TALKS ENTER ACTIVE PHASE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 46, 17 November 1937, Page 7

TRADE TALKS ENTER ACTIVE PHASE

.Drpsq -

Negotiations for Anglo-U.S. Agreement D0MINI0NS CONSULTED

t By T'-Wrnnh

-Ponvriglit.l

(Received 17, 8.45 a.m.) NEW .YORK, Nov. 16. Mr Delbert Clark, a member of the New Yorlc Times Washington staff, in. an exclusive article, says that British and American *discussions for the purpose of deciding whether. negotiations for a reciprocal trade agreement should be attempted have enter ed an extremely active phase. They are proceeding simultaneously in "Washington and London but have not yet reached a definite point. However, the prospeets of snceess in trade discussions are considered so favourable that some quarters believe an announcement of the official opening of negotiations is imminent. The British Cabinet xecently took up the subjeet directly, whereas the Board of Trade was previously active. Important exchanges followed, -with Mr Cordell Hull giving the matter his pers-onal attention. There is considerable optimism both in Washington and London. Britain in recent weeks has been consulting the Dominions, because ■ the issues, presumably, will require modification of the system, but not the principle, of Empire preference in order to enable Britain to proVide concessions to American agricultural products. American concessions to Britain are expected to be chiefly concerned- with manufactures. Howeve.r, apart from trade advantages, the move would be politically 'Significant, indicatuig closer collabdration between Britain and America, and logically destlaed to bear fruit in many directions.