Evening star., 1940-07-14
Hull Names Eight
To Serve as Advisers
AT Havana Farley
Hope Prevails for Accord
To Avert AneIo-French
Bottle at Martinique
BY GARRETT ID. HORNER.

Bottle at Martinique
BY GARNETT d. HORNER.
Experts on American trade, finan-
cial, agricultural and legal problems
arising from the European war were
selected from four Government de-
partments yesterday by Secretary of
State Hull to act as his advisers at
the emergency Pan-American Con-
ference opening at Havana Satur-
day.
Secretary Hull conferred with his
aides throughout the day, giving his
full attention to formulation of
United States policy toward the
numerous questions confronting the
conference, the second special meet
Ing of foreign ministers of the
American republics occasioned by
war developments.
Meanwhile. hope prevailed in au-
thoritative diplomatic quarters that
q definite agreement designed to
avert any trouble making incident"
concerning the French West Indian
island Of Martinique may be reached
by the British and French govern
ments this week.
Tense Situation Created.
Presence of British warships in
the vicinity of Martinique, reported
ly determined to prevent any action
that would deliver French war YES
sels and a consignment of Ameri-
can-made airplanes there into Ger
man hands, has created tense sit
uation. Any battle between the
French and British vessels in the
area, which is well within the Pan
American neutrality zone, would Sc
riously concern the American re-
publics.
Secretary Hull is understood to
have taken a hand in efforts to
effect settlement between the
British and French that would neu-
tralize the area. The settlement
was reported yesterday to hinge on
reply of the French government to
proposals submitted earlier last
week, with the reply delayed by slow
communications between Washing
ton and France.
A proposal for an international
commission to supervise the carry
Ing out of guarantees that the
French warships at Martinique will
play no further part in the war was
reported under consideration. Chief
difficulty In the negotiations was ex-
pected to be British insistence on
delivery to them of the American
airplane shipment held up at the
island, based on contention that the
100 or more planes involved were
included in an arrangement under
which Britain took over all French
orders for war equipment in this
country.
Lothian and st. Quentin See Welles.
Both Lord Lothian, British AM
bassador, and Count Rene de St.
Quentin, French Ambassador, called
on Undersecretary of State Sumner
Welles yesterday, but declined to
disclose whether they had dis
cussed the Martinique situation. The
French Ambassador told reporters,
however, that he was convinced
the FrsEoh-warships at Martinique
would remain there peaceably.
Unless the conflict of British and
French interests at Martinique is
settled promptly, 1t might create an
unusually urgent problem for the
Havana conference. which is sched-
uled to consider long-range policy
for joint action to prevent any
transfer Of territory In the Western
Hemisphere from one non-Ameri-
can power to another.
The conference also will consider
measures for increased inter-Amer-
lean economic unity and co-opera-
ton to combat fifth column" ac-
tivities, as well as possible revision
Of the strict neutrality standards
adopted at a similar meeting in
Panama last fall, soon after the war
broke out.
Secretary Hull's selection of his
advisers for the Havana meeting
emphasized the attention it is ex-
pected to give to economic prob
lens resulting from the wartime
virtual loss of European markets
for American products.
Berle Heads Group.
Assistant Secretary of State A. A.
Berle, jr., heads the group of eight
advisers. representing the State,
Treasury, Commerce and Agricul-
ture Departments. The party is
scheduled to leave here by train
Thursday afternoon for Miami,
Fla, going from there to Havana
either by plane or boat.
Besides MIR. Berle, the group in
cludes William Dawson, American
Ambassador to Panama; Green H.
Hackworth, State Department legal
adviser; Leo. Pasvolsky, Special
Assistant to the Secretary of State;
Laurence Duggan, chief of the Divi-
sion Of American Republics; Harry
g. White, Treasury Department di-
1ector Of monetary research; Gros-
venor M. Jones, assistant director
ST the Bureau of Foreign and Do
mestic Commerce, and Leslie A.
Wheeler, director of the Agriculture
Departments Office of Foreign Agri-
cultural Relations.
Mr.. Berle and Mr.. Pasvolsky have
given special attention recently to
development of a program out
lined by President Roosevelt for an
inter-American trading corporation
to handle all of the exportable sur
pluses of the Americas in an effort
to prevent German penetration
through barter deals. The So
called cartel program is expected
to be considered at Havana, along
with other measures for economic
cooperation.