RUMANIA & TRADE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 March 1939, Page 5

RUMANIA & TRADE

RECENT AGREEMENT WITH GERMANY STATEMENT BY MR CHAMBERLAIN. BRITISH MISSION TO PROCEED TO BUCHAREST. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, March 27. At the, end of a very long answer in the House of Commons on the Rumanian—German trade agreement, Mr Chamberlain said the extension of An-glo-Rumanian trade and the promotion of economic relations between the two countries was a matter to which Britain attached the greatest importance. He referred to the recent decision to send a commercial mission to Bucharest and added: “Rumania is still anxious that the mission should proceed and that, of course, is our intention.” Of the agreement itself, Mr Chamberlain said it was in the nature of a comprehensive programme, the precise effects of which in practice would depend mainly on the manner in which its provisions were carried out. In these circumstances, he declared, they must await developments before coming to any definite conclusion. Rumania had informed Britain that negotiations had proceeded on normal lines, that the agreement contained no political clause and that Rumania had not signed away her economic independence. As described to Britain by Rumania, the effect of the agreement in a broad outline was to enable Rumania to dispose to Germany of a great deal of her produce, for which she was unable to find alternative markets, and to receive in return German assistance in the form of equipment and technical advice in exploitation of her resources. It appeared that Germany would co-operate in the development of existing industries in Rumania, and in setting up new ones, particularly in the fields of agriculture, forestry and mining. She would also assist in the construction of public utility concerns and communications, and finally she would supply Rumania with armaments.