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11
The United States welcomes most warmly
Britain's decision to enter the European
Community.
11
-
William P. Rogers, Secretary of State
Wash ington, D.C. -
Dexter Fau/kner
The reaction in Washington to the
British government 's decision was one
of
officia/
welcome - backed up with a
good deal of growing skepticism and
doubt.
United States foreign policy has long
advocated British membership in the
Common Market as enhancing the
strength of the Western Alliance. Secre–
tary of State William P. Rogers said,
"The United States welcomes most
warmly Britain's decision to enter the
European community."
He
went on to
say this move "is a signiticant forward
step" toward the unity of Europe, which
the United States has always given
"firm support." President Nixon him–
self dcscribed the British decision to
join the Common Market as "a mile–
stone for Europe."
Behind the diplomatic pronounce–
ments, the real feeling in government
circles in Washington at this point is
that an enlarged Common Market, with
the British, Jrish, Danes and Nor–
wegians edging toward membership
would
compiicate
America's internation–
al trading problems.
A stronger Europe of the Ten would
be in a much better bargaining position
on vital trade issues - greatly straining
relations on both sides of the Atlantic.
Reflecting this guarded approach,
Secretary of Commerce Maurice H.
Stans remarked:
"We fully support the Common Mar–
ket expansion into ten members, with
the inclusion of Great Britain if the
British want to be there, and we would
welcome the European Commun ity as
the second greatest trading entity in the
wodd.
It
is already the largest single
exporter.
"But we hope the Common Market
will not continue to base its growth on
discriminatory agricultura! policies, and
on preferential trading agreements
which favor third countries at our
expense."
New York's Senator Jacob K. Javits,
11
Britain no longer carries the importance
to Canada that it once did.
11
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Observation by PLAIN TRUTH Canadian
Corresponden#
Vancouver, Canada -
Dear1 Wilsotl
There was almost no reaction by the
average Canadian on October 28th
when Bcitain took the first official step
toward joining the European Common
Market. There are severa! reasons for
the passive reaction.
Canada and Britain have slowly
drifted apart sincc World War II.
Many of the older generation still tena–
ciously maintain their loyalties toward
the Crown as wcll as the Com–
monwealth. Most realize this is nothing
more than a sentimental attachment to
something that used to be but is no
longer a reality.
The younger generation do not carry
such emotional attachments. They are
basically interested, when they do think
of political matters, in the advancement
of Canada on its own. There is an
incceasing trend among Canadians to
seek their own identity outside Britain,
the Commonwealth and even the
United States.
There is, for example, the daring
individual relationship developing be–
tween Canada and many of the Com–
munist bloc nations.
1t
is even causing
a member of the Foreign Relations
Committee, concedes that the expansion
of the Common Market will cause "new
problems for the United States." The
United States must continue hard nego–
tiations with the Community he said,
"in order to safeguard our economic
interests."
One congressman, an expert on agri–
culture, expecially U. S. food exports,
had this to say:
"If
expanding the Com·
mon Market is simply a part of a jour·
ney leading to fewer trade barriers
between al! nations, and if the Common
Market continues to buy more of our
farm production as it has in the past,
then it will be good news for us all. But
if expanding the Common Market to in–
elude England means that Europe will
further reduce its purchase of U. S. agri–
cultura! products and deprive us of
valuable markets in England, then there
is trouble ahead ."
Overall, the old dream in Washing–
ton of the United States and a strong
Wcstern Europe, including Britain,
marching arm-in-arm in a harmonious
Westero AJI iance has been greatly tar–
nished
~v
the realitv of
~rowin.g
trans–
Atlantic ditferences. The historie alli–
ance that saw Britain and America
through two World Wars is apparently
- and sadly
coming to an end.
concern and cntiC•sms between Canada
and its biggest trading partner, the
United States.
While the United States is Canada's
biggest trading and economic partner,
Japan severa! yea rs ago replaced Britain
as second. Economically, Britain no
longer carries the importance to Canada
that it once did. In 1945, Britain took
25 percent of Canada's exports. In 1970
this figure had slumped to a mere 9
percent.
Of course, in sorne arcas Britain's
entry into the Common Market will
affect Canada's economy. Because Can–
ada has a large, diversified economy, it
will not qualify for special arrange–
ments such as that negotiated for agri–
culturally based New Zealand and other
still developing countrics of the com–
monwealth. As a result, Canada will