Evening star., 1948-04-16
Charter for ERP
Signed dinPariis
By 10 Nations
Allied Zones of Reich
Also Join in Setting
Up Permanent Unit
(Charter Tert on Page A-22.)
BY the Associated Press

PARIS, April 16.-Sixteen ma
tions and Germany's western
zones unanimously adopted to-
day a convention binding them
selves into a permanent European
organization of economic CO.
operation.
The nations are those taking part
in the European Recovery Pro-
gram. The organization is to as
sure efficient use of the $1,000 000,-
900 the United States has pledged
in the program.
The 28-article, 3,000-Word con-
vention was adopted and signed at
a conference of Foreign Ministers
and others in the French Foreign
Ministry.
"A strong and prosperous Euro
pean economy" says the preamble,
will contribute to the maintenance
of peace"
The chairman, British Foreign
Secretary Bevin, put the charter to
the delegates at 1925 pm. There
were no objections: so he declared
it adopted officially. Annexes and
protocols also were adopted.
Gruber First Signer.
The delegates then attached their
signatures. The first signer was
Austrian Foreign Minister Karl
Gruber. The last was Gen. Sir
Brian Robertson, British military
governor for Germany and repre-
sentative of the British and Ameri-
can zones.
The plenary meeting opened IN
the Clock Room and moved to the
adjoining Hall of Peace for the
signing.
In closing it, Mr. Bevin declared,
@the structure of the new organlza-
tion is one which leaves room Tor
development and for expansion to-
include all European countries who
will genuinely subscribe to the aim
OF the organization"
Before the morning meeting ad-
tourned, the conference unanimously
adopted a resolution to send thanks
to the United States for its gen
erous response in assisting Europe
in it's present critical state, Thls
was proposed by Irish Foreign Min
lister Sean MacBride.
The delegates approved Mr.. Bev-
ms suggestion that they reassemble
in a closed meeting at pm. Oil
am. EST. Their deputies are to
meet 45 minutes earlier to prepare
this afternoons agenda.
This will include choosing a sec
retarv general, two assistants and
other officers and selecting a perma-
nent headquarters for the organlza-
ton.
Contracting Powers.
The document names these con-
tracing powers: Austria, Belgium,
Britain, Denmark, France, Greece,
Fire, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg,
Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal,
Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
the French, British and American
zones of Germany.
They .agree to try to get back on
their economic feet as quickly as
possible in order to be able eventu-
ally to dispense with any foreign
aid of an exceptional character.
They promised to augment their
production, develop and modernlze
their industrial and agricultural
equipment, increase their exchanges,
reduce progressively barriers to
mutual trade, encourage full en-
ployment of their manpoWer.'
They recognize the generous in
tention of the American people in
supplying the dollars with which
they hope to meet their goals.
In Article l, the Nations assign
themselves as their immediate task
the setting up and execution of a
common recovery program" To this
end they hereby institute a Euro
pean organization of economic CO.
operation"
They pledge themselves to bet
ter use of the resources at their
disposal in their homelands and in
their overseas territories"
They will set up within the frame
work of the organization programs
of production and Of the exchange
of goods and services the charter
says.
Seek to End Restrictions.
They will seek, it adds. to abolish |
restrictions "on their exchange and
on their reciprocal payments"
They will pursue their studies
now IN course on customs unions or
analogous systems such as zones Of
free trade" the document goes on.
The nations agree TO cooperate
(See ERP. Page ABB