Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-14
Allies Drift Apart
On Thorny Issue Of
Iron Curtain Trade
By jones {. Roper

SStu$S &e hNSPSt
Russia is splitting the West
on problems of international
trade.
While the Western powers
have Dragged about their politi-
cal unity. they have drifted dam
gerously apart on an economic
issue-what kind Of trade. and
how much, they should carry on
with Soviet dominated countries.
Great Britain, France and
smaller Western countries want
to trade more with the Com
munists. The United States is
holding back.
And the Soviet Union, with
skin and patience, Is exploiting
the Western differences. Day
after day, Moscow radio shouts
that Russia welcomes interna-
tional trade. On Friday night,
even Soviet Premier Georgi NAL
enkov Joined the Communist
propaganda campaign by de-
claring:
I'VE stand for peaceful eco
nomic competition Of the Soviet
Union with all capitaliStic coun-
tries. including. of course. the
United States"
Woo Allied Nations.
Such statements plus the
Moscow broadcasts-help entice
Americas allies away from the
United States position: An en-
barge on all trade with Red
China, and a bar against ship
ment of strategic goods to other
Soviet-run countries.
The United States is compare
lively strict in what it classifiee
as strategic" And it can afford
to bet has prospered despite
trade curbs.
But France and Great Britain,
for instance, need trade compar-
atively more. And they're moving
to get it.
French Finance Minister Edgar
Faure recently announced plans
to expand trade with Communist
countries. One of the obstacles
to such trade. he said, was the
restrictions the West has placed
on sales of strategic" goods. A
way. to overcome this, he said.
was eventually to make the def
milton of strategic" less strict.
Churchill Outspoken.
British Prime Minister
Churchill was even more blunt |
when he told the House of Com
mons:
1.-The more trade there is
through the Iron Curtain and
between Great Britain and Rus |
STA and her satellites the better |
and better will be the chances
of our living together in increas-
ing comfort.
"A substantial relaxation of |
the regulations affecting manu-
featured goods. raw materials |
and shipping which were made /
three or four years ago, under I
circumstances we could all feel |
were very different from those |
which now PREVAIL substantial /
relaxation would undoubtedly be /
beneficial in its proper setting. /
bearing in mind all the military /
and other arguments"
The State Department. react
ing to this speech. said wryly I
the United States Government
was sure there would be full I
consultations between London
and Washington before Britain
hberalized it's trade rules.
Is Nations Consult.
The West already has the
machinery for consultations. Fiji |
teen allied nations belong to
consultative group that meets in |
Paris to discuss such problems.
This group lists between 400
and 500 items that should not be
shipped freely to Soviet-con-
trolled countries. These include
totally enlarged items, some
that may be shipped in specified
quantities. and some that are
just, watched to guard against
the Soviet bloc building up a
stockpile. There are different
lists for Europe and Red China.
British and French ideas on
liberalizing the lists are being
discussed in Paris and in other
capitals.
Would Tighten Bars.
The United States is taking
the attitude that perhaps some
items could be taken off the Stra-
tegic list If the enforcement of
the remaining restrictions could
be frightened.
But American officials show
frankly they do not want to go
as far as their allies.
This Observation-Disclosures of
whose fault it is-leaves the West
vulnerable when Moscow drums
on this theme: Trade restrictions
breed international tension, and
penalize some Western countries
which really would like to trade
with the Russians who-says
MoscoW-love international COM
merce second only to the dove of
peace.
Senators POSTPONE