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BUREAU REPORTS
New Challenges
toWorld
FreeTrade.
8RUSSELS: Trade war - mter·
nauonal cconomic
viUain
of
the
th1rt1es -
1S
Ioomin..& onc:e agam oo
thc bon;tOn Thc frame.-. ofGATT
(lhe Genenl Agreement oo Trade
and Taritrs) set up a system or rules
a.nd
¡ua.rante~
in 1947 10 prevcnt a
recvrrence
or
aippling protection·
u:m
Now lhat
systcm
could fall
vachm
10
thc
worldwide
economie
recess10n.
creased economic stre.ngth and tn·
creased panicipation
an
thc:
1Diernat10n&l
economic
system
o(
two groups
o(
oountries - the ma–
jor oH producing oouotries and the
Communist countries - means that
we
now
must cope:
with ec:onomi–
cally powerful entitics which
do
not adhere
to
the internatJon3J
tradang rules incorporated in the
GATT"
In otber words, the two blocs
• whoch could
do
lhe mosl dama¡e
10
thc free trade system
wiiJ
ool even
be at the bargaining table.
-
Httnry Srurck•
termine pri«& for Australian ex–
poros
10
Japan.
Ahhough th* and other prob–
lems sbould be resolved soon. they
indicate thc:
exte:nt
a.nd
nature
of
!he ditfi"'llies facing lho ""o coun–
tries
as lheir ec:onomaes
become
io–
erusingly integrated.
Thcre are a.lso waromgs that eco–
nomic
interdependence brings iLS
own problems. Thore could be fu–
ture
occasions when
the ol&tional
intercsl$ of the two countrles con·
nict or when
lb
e cultutal hiatus lhll
separates
them causes tcns10n in
their
relationship.
-
Oon
Abtth•m
Common
Marketfor
West Africa
Oespi te the lessons or bistory,
A
t
1"
nalional goveroments are still
us ra la
tcmpted to apply a reversc eco.-
nd
J
nomic: golden rule in times or un·
a apan-
SALISBURY. RHOOESIA :
cena1nly; "Erca barritrs 10 my
lnterdependence
leaders of 61\een West African
neighbor's exports before
he
can
do
states met in Monrovia. L1bena '"
the
same
to
mine.."
Br"ngs Proble
S
mld-Fe:brua.ry lO
discuss the forma-
The poss1b1hty of
lhi.s
formula
1
m
tion of a West Afnean Economic
beca
me evide.nt
as the
latest
sest10n
Community.
of the Tokyo Round of negoua-
SYONEY: The vowing impor·
Ministers •8J"ed on the forma·
uons (formcrly eallcd the Nuon tance or Australia'$ and Japan's tion. over a IS·year penod, or a
Round) ¡ot undcrway in Gene\la in uade intcrdependence is hagh·
customs unjon that could cven·
Februory. "The danger oreountries lighted by recently released trade
tually lead
10
thc free movement or
going back to protettionism may figures.
trade across the cntirc ..bulgc•• or
be
almost
incsistiblc:. without
Thc Japanese government's A(rica.
countervalHng prc:ssure on thc in- trade reporlS for fi.sc:al year
1973
All that
is
nceded
now
l$
for the
-
~l"d.Mt,...1...:Jc-ve~admilted~o-twhidt-end.e<l-.in--M-af'Oh..~)4how-l-.So-.
heads.... o(
.$tale.
to mece once
European Community offictal that Japan's exporiS to Australia
more and formally ••&n the agree·
¡lumly.
that year totalled US$1,192,900.000
menL This will take
p~c:c
later this
Responsíble otficials on botl\ - an inac:ase or63.8'Jo petttnt over
year.
Stdn
O(
the Atlanuc tuht< thal the previous year. lmports from
The participaUAg states 1n the
t.hcy
mus1
oonunue to advoeatc: free Australia
for
the samc pcnod wcre
new b1oc are Oahomcy. Oambia.
ttade They tnow rutl wellthal the USS3,49S,OOO,OOO - up
S8.S
per· Ghan&, Guinea, Guinta·81$$1U, lv·
ahemauve
is a
trade
war
between
cenL
ory Coast.
Libcria., Mali, Mau-
the 1ndustrializ.cd nations
wh.ich
The vatue of Austra.lj,.'s cxporu
ricania,
Niger. Nigeria, Scneg.al.
none would win.
to JApan
for
the same period
<x·
Sierra Leone, Togo and Upper
Momentous problems await the ceeded the oombined total or her Volla. Al! except Liberla and
ne¡ouators
at
the OAIT bargain· oext five big,gcst customers - the
Ouinea-Bi.ssau are
rom1cr
English
•n.¡
lablc, who hope ro clim.inate Uníted States. Bñtain. New Zea· and
Frencb
colon.ie.s. The economie
vanous imtants such as "'volul\- land. franoe and West Gennany -
levcror the memben rao.ges aU the _
tary" export reslJ'ainos and other wh1ch stood al US$3,000.338.000.
way from newly oil·rieh Ni3eria 10
SJde-<loor mcthods of restncun¡
Ausualia has bccn Japa.n's
tead-
povcrty·strickcn Guinea·B1ssau.
free uade.
.
111¡ supptier of mineraJs such u
newly independent from Portugal
E\lcn more Cruc:tal could
be
thc uon ore. ooal. bauxite. a.Jwruoum.
The region ba.s tremcndou.s min-
ae&ouauons regardi"n& the de>·el· and mantan=. Austraba 1S also
eral and agricuhunl potenllal, as
op1n& countncs and 1he
raw
ma te· number one
in
sales to
Ja,pan
of weU
a.s
Nigeria•s oil
nals they
~·
Tbesc matters wool. beef and muuon and is sec-
The treaty that
wiU
bind thc IS
had been vtnually ignored at pre· ond in the supply orsugar.
together establishcs a common <us·
vious OA
Tr
rounds (tht latc:Sl
Howevet, there are indic:uions
toms tariff
ror
imports
rrom
Olher
beíng the "Kenne"dy" Round from thnt the road ahead may not be as
Third World countries.
lt
also
S<lS
1962 to 1967). Now. the indus· smooth for Australia and Japan as
up a fund for cooperation. com·
crualiz.ed nations are
concerncd h has been in thc past.
pcnsatioo aod dcvelopmcnt.
about
tecpin¡
conunued rcason·
Fncuon betwcen thc
two
part·
In the prcsent climate or
d~tcntc
ablc ac:cess lO commodities and raw
ncrs
has dc,.•elopcd recently ovcr between. the black Atñcan states
matenals.
ae-eral faeton:
and !he Republic: of South Africo,
The developin&nations are prov·
• The Japanese
~·
sud·
there
IS
speeulation about a
pos·
tn¡ mereas1n¡ly •lc.illful in negoua- den 1mposition of import quotu on Slble funu-e role for Prctona 1n lhe
hons, and
the
industriahtcd
be:er
fot
the Jancr half
or
the 1974
arta.
nauons (pnmarily the U.S. Japan. fiscal year. This has had an advene
A recent visit by South Africa's
and the EEC) will probabty bavc lo impact on thc econoJD.i.c wclfare
o(
Prime Ministcr John Vorster
to
g.Jve pr1ee guarantees
and
' 'open Australia's bcefproduccrs.
Liberia. and oontacl$ betwcen his
market" concessions jn return for
• Japan•s curb on pu.rchascs
of slowly
überalizing whitt•ruled na·
supply s;uarantccs.
Austrslian wool because
or
iu s ur..
tion and the lvory Coast. could
Thc
problrm5
are knouy. and plus
s-tod::s
of raw wool.
lcad to t.he commitmenl of South
thr
ou•!?Ok for
suo:ess
i.s
at thc
• The sharp incre.ase in cxpons
A(rican developmcot a.id.
moment uncena.in. for
onc
th1.ng. to Au.stralia
or
Japanese motor ve-
Thc oricotation
or
the new trade
thc
ncaotiauon~
wiU
&Orar
past the hJele.s. This has lcd to
scvcrt
grouping. bowever,
mlg.ht
be
north·
Oece.mber 1975 deadline inuullly uncmployment in AustraUa's own
ward rather !han southward. Most
IIISI.Iled upon by the
u.s
ll lOOk motor industry and !he Austrahan
or lh* West Mocan Slal<S have
C:l&lUeen months for Cons.ress
to
sovemment's impositioo
or
unpon
formal econom.ac treahCI wnh the
pus !he trade blll giving !he Presi· quotu on Japanese can.
European Economie Commu011y.
dent the powrr to ncgotlatc,
• The Australian govcmmcnt•s
lt
i.s
herc that West Africa
will
Another b18 reason
ror
pessi-
insistente on its rigbt to mtcrvenc
probably look
ror
developmcnt aid
mism was summcd up
by
one in negotiations between Australilln
and close trade ties.
0A11 represenlative: '"Thc in- and
Japane.~e
businessmen to de·
-
Melvin Rhodu
WEEK ENDINO APRIL
S.
197S
ART 8UCHWALD
The
Washington
Triangle
WASHINGTON: By now every·
one must
know rabout
che
Bcrmuda
Triangle. a vast body
or
Water ex–
lending rrom Bermuda
in
thc north
to .southem Flonda and thcn east
10 a point m the 8ahamu post .
Pueno
Rico.
Clut.rles Berbtz. wbo hu wriuen
a
best-.seller
about
it.
c!latms
100
ships and planes have vanl$hed in
the arca without a trace, and more
Iban 1,000 lives have been lost
since 194S.
There are
many
theories
oon~
cerniog lhe mystery. Sorne people
believe tbat UFOs are responsible.
Otliers feel the disasters may bave
been tied in witb the los! colony
or
Atlaotis. In any
ea.se.
the Bcrmuda
Tmngle has caused qune a stir.
What bas not been publiciud
is
that thcre
is
a
.UtulaT phcnomenoo
rigbt bere
in
Washin&ton, O.C.
1t
is
c:aUed the Washington Triangle,
and
il
also b:.u bcen a
grcat source
or mystery and unexplained dir
áppcarances.
The lria.nglc orea is located be·
tween tbe Whitc House, thc Capi·
tol
and.-_ thc
Jctrerson Memorial.
Most
oC
the ac:cidenu have taken
p~ce
in !he T1dal Basin. a rough,
treac:herous sea.
S
feet deep. wboch
twi:sts
and tums
u
il empiles into
lhe
Potomac Ri'-'et.
Jonalhan Stone. wl\o dlSCOvered
the Washington Tnangle, said.
"The trianglc
is
a frightening place.
ln a _period or 10 yenrs we've lost
3,400 trial balloons, 200 eongres·
sional rcforms,
453
cxecuti"e man–
datos. 230 tax euiS and one •hip of
state. lbey
seem to
have d
is·
appeated
without
a
trace:·
"But thcrc must
be
some
ex–
planation." 1saul.
"The b183est dl.llSter
was
!he
sinkin& of lhe
SS WQttrgQt<
wilh
aU bands aboard, 111cluding tbe
Presidcnt of the
United
States. A
seareh or the arca produced noth·
ing but an
empty
lifeboat with the
pathetic messn¡c
'1
am nota crook.'
Scrawled on thc side.' '
"What do you think happened 10
tbe a-ew'!" 1uked Stone.
-rhey lost lheir MOral compass.
Sometfun& h1ppens to people's
sense
of
direc:tion whcn
they
en
ter
tbe
t~angle.
The best potitic:al na·
vigatot$ for&•• wh1eh end
is
up and
wbieh end is down."
"What othcr disasters have caken
place in
lhe bnsin?''
.
"One day a Judge Cárswell
sailed out of the White House to–
ward the Capitol
10
be conñrmed
u Suprcme Coutt juslice. Then a
mysterious storm camc
up and
Carswell diUppeared. never 10 be
beard or
lgliO,"
S tone
said.
-rbat's temble."
1
saíd.
"Reeently, Prwdent Ford sent
up an energy message 10 The Hill
·and it sunk without a trace.
"At lell.!t a half-doz.en bilis ll1at
Congress hiiS sent down to the
Presideot to sign
have
drowned in
tbt: b1ack, murky watcrs of thc
tri·
angle. Budgets have been smashed
on lhe
roc:ks;
campaig.n promises
bave vanuhed
into
thín
ait.
Even a
<3t&O
of
prayer breakfUIS
WIS
lOS!
without a trace or cxplanation.,.
"Do
you suppose there
is
some
suptrnatun..l
powe:r 11
work
in
the
triangle that ,. responsible for so
many d1s11Sters?" 1osked.
..I'm
su
re
or
il,..
Stone said.
"There is one theory that sophis·
ticated beinv rrom another planet
live on the bouom
o(
the basin and
ma&netieally attract all !he traffic
betwc.cn tbe Whitc House: and The
HjJL"
"'1 believe
•t.
"'1 said.
"Some say lhat lhere
is
a pro–
historie monster in the water
that
eaos nolhmg but bud&eiS, presiden·
tial
messagc:s, sovernmcnl servants
andan ooeasional Vice Presidcnt
o(
t.be United States."
1
'That could makc scnse. too."' 1
agreed.
' 'Tilere
iJ
also the possibility lhat
tbe bonom or the T1dal Basin could
be the lost colony of Allantis." he
said.
··You
mean Fannc Fox.c oould
be
from another
worldr
-rbere are many people. in·
eludiD& respec:tcd seientisiS, wbo
bcüevc
il."'