Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-01-27
Arms Aid
Continued From First Page)

ing provisions on their effective
times.
Officials said those with France,
the Netherlands, Italy and Den
mark were effective with the sign
ing today. The British agreement
will be only after it is accepted"
by the British government. Par
liamentary action is required in
Norway, Belgium and. Luxem-
bourg.
British, Dutch Sign in Morning.
British Ambassador Sir Oliver
Franks and Netherlands Ambas-
sador E. N. van Kueffens signed
their agreements this morning,
Sir Oliver leaving before noon for
London for consultation and the
Netherlands Ambassador having a
luncheon engagement that kept
him from participating in the 1ull
signing ceremony this afternoon.
MI. Acheson and the six other
ENJOYS meet at 2:30 in a State
Department conference room at
1778 Pennsylvania avenue NV. to
put their signatures on the agree
ments. The State Department
made public the text of all eight
agreements at 2:30 pm.
Conclusion of the agreements
has been delayed for several
weeks in order to work out ways
to meet objections raised by the
British to original American pro-
posals.
officials said the British were
concerned primarily to make
clear : that their mutual aid
obligations under the agreement
would not jeopardize their eco
nomic recovery, and that they
would not be prevented from
using outside the North Atlantic
area equipment similar to that
furnished under the American
assistance program.
Stipulation Meets Point. =
The first point was met by the
stipulation in the agreements
that economic recovery shall have
clear priority" over military as
sistance obligations.
The second objection was over
come in more complicated fashion.
One provision of the British agree
ment stipulates that Great Britain
will not use assistance received
from the United States for any
purpose other than defense of the
North Atlantic area. An annex
provides that in the case of
"fungible" materials or equipment
this particular provision will be
met II the British devote to North
Atlantic area defense "either the
particular items furnished or an
equivalent quantity of similar and
substitutable items" One synonym
for "fungible" or INTERCHANGE
able"
officials explained that this
meant that steel furnished for
making tanks would, not have to
be traced through to make sure
that a particular tank was used
in the North Atlantic area. They
emphasized that the purpose is to
increase the total defense of the
area, without quibbhng about par
ticular itemsf "a 80
Other Similar Provisions.
Provisions similar to those in
sisted upon by the, British were
worked into, most of the other
agreements. Britain, France and
the Netherlands in particular
want to be free to use their own
military equipment in other parts
of the world where they have
obligations, such as in Asia.
Each agreement carried an
annex stipulating the maximum
amount which would be provided
in local currency for American
administrative expenses under the
program up to next June 80.
These amounts in dollar equiva-
Tents were: Great Britain, $780,
600: France. $525,00o; Norway,
$500, 000; Belgium, Luxembourg
1895, 900; Italy, $400 900: Neither
lands, $275,ooo, and Denmark,
$4,000. r. 49,.
Although France is. expected to
get a larger share of the assist
ance furnished than any other OF
the countries. officials said the
administrative expenses were not
any gauge of the amount to be
received by particular nations
Variety of equipment rather than
volume makes for larger expenses
it was pointed out.