Evening star., 1947-01-01
British Official Source
Confirms Agreement
To Sfandardize Arms
BY the Assoeioted Press

~ JIoIIudIuINe AIInS
.srran. By the A..eeiotsd Press
:-rL0NDON, Jan. IA government
source confirmed today for the first
time that Britain and America hac
agreed IN principle to standardiza-
ton Of certain items of military
equipment" to fixed American sizes
and patterns.
British and American military
experts are discussing the stand
ardization of small arms, the source
said, but he emphasized that no
"ail-embracing decision" had been
taken to standardize all the mill
tary equipment of the two nations
The disclosure came two months
after authoritative military sources
= told the Associated Press Of the
arms Standardization plan. Pub
lication Of the story in the United
States gave rise to numerous ques-
tinos in Parliament and to charge
! by the Communist Daily Worker
that secret British-American
military pact had been reached.
The government informant did
not rule out the possibility that an
"all-embracing" decision to stand
ardize arms might be taken in the
future. He said the two countries
military advisers were starting at
the bottom and working their way
upwards"
New York Reports Headlined.
British newspapers, meanwhile,
front -paged reports from New York
claiming that Britain and America
were rapidly completing plans for
land, sea and air cooperation 'if
they become involved in another
war"
The reports from New York added
that the forces of both nations,
trained and equipped under stand
ardization system. would be able to
move into action under one supreme
commander.
Asked whether Field Marshal Lord
Montgomery would discuss arms
Standardization between Britain and
Soviet Russia when he visited Mos
cow this month, the government
source said the chief of the imperial
general staff was not scheduled to
talk about this question.
But, he added, Marshal Montgom-
cry certainly would report any pro-
posals that the Russians might care
to make on arms Standardization be-
tween the Red Army and the British
Army and that this report would re-
ceive the consideration of the Brit
ish government.
He added: Britain Is not averse
to standardizing military equipment
with the Russians. AS Prime Minis
ter Attlee pointed out in the House
of Commons recently, British policy
is based on the United Nations or
ganization and any plans that do not
conflict with United Nations policy
will always receive the governments
sympathetic consideration"
Details May Be Requested.
The informant said Britain had
not yet placed details of her mill
tary. discussions on Standardization
with America Z before the United
Nations. He said, however. that the
military staff committee of the Sc
curity Council could ask for details
Of any agreement between the two
countries and, presumably, would
get them.
The informant stated that mill
tary cooperation between the two
countries did not mean that Britain
and America were preparing to sign
a full-scale economic or political
agreement, to operate in the event
of an attack on either of them. A
French newspaper earlier this week
reported that the two countries
would sign such an alliance on
March Is.
The informant together with For
eifn Office spokesmen repeated that
British foreign policy was based on
the assumption that there could
never be war between Britain and
America.
The source declared that while a
decision had been taken to continue
air force cooperation which had
been started during the war by a
Joint training program for British
Empire and American airmen, dis
cuSsions to institute joint army and
naval training programs had mot
vet started"