NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

Center for International Studies
WASHINGTON SQUARE, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10003
AREA 212 777-2000

Office of the Director

February 21, 1968

Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller
State Capitol
Albany, New York

Dear Governor Rockefeller:

Thank you for your excellent message to the participants
of the University Seminar.

The enclosed statement is the outcome of our two days
of deliberations here at New York University. Senator Javits
felt as I did that it was an "historic initiative."

The feeling engendered by the participants is that we
ought to press forward with this project to do further re-
search, testify before Congress, publish findings and
enlist wider involvement by political and business leaders.
I would very much like your advice on next steps and shall,
if I may, take the liberty of calling your office next week
to arrange an appointment.

Encs.

(1) Statement of the Participants

(2) List of Participants and Biographies

(3) Press clippings

THE FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION PROJECT

A group of businessmen, writers, political and trade union leaders, economists and lawyers from Canada, Great Britain and the United States has met for two days, February 17-18, at the Center for International Studies of New York University. It has worked with five draft studies prepared by the N.Y.U. Center for publication in October 1968, and has held discussions with economists who have recently published "Atlantic Trade Studies" in Britain and the Montreal based research series "Canada in the Atlantic Economy." The group has reached the following general consensus:

1. The conclusion of the Kennedy Round of tariff negotiations and the rejection of Britain's application and those of other countries to join the European Community create the need for new initiatives towards multilateral trade liberalization and the promotion of economic growth on a world-wide scale.

2. The discussions held at the N.Y.U. University Seminar and the draft studies here considered indicate that such a new initiative might well take the form of a free trade association in industrial products of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and other EFTA countries, to their mutual economic and political benefit.

3. A free trade association of the kind examined should be outward-looking and open to others to join. To this end further research is to be undertaken into the implications of including other industrial nations and groupings such as those of the European Free Trade Association, the European Community, Japan, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, as well as of special beneficial relationships with the developing nations.

4. The conclusions of these discussions set out in the preceding paragraphs should be given the most earnest attention and consideration by governments, leaders of opinion, and the public in the countries represented at this seminar.

FHH 2-16-68 EXECUTIVE CHAMBER-STATE CAPITOL

THOMAS M. FRANCK, DIRECTOR
CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
6 WASHINGTON SQUARE, NORTH
NEW YORK, NEW YORK

I am sorry that I cannot be with you and I would
like to welcome to New York our distinguished guests
from Britain and Canada who are gathered at the Center
for International Studies to participate in the review
of the feasibility study on an International Free Trade
Area embracing Canada, Britain and the United States.
I hope that your conference will prove most fruitful
and I will be interested in receiving a report on your
-MORE-

Page 2
deliberations.

With best wishes,

Nelson A. Rockefeller

cc: J. Sullivan, J. Boyd

JHB:dm

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

Office of the Director

January 26, 1968

Att'n: Mrs. Ann Whitman

Dear Governor Rockefeller:

I am pleased to inform you about the feasibility
study of an Industrial Free Trade Area embracing Canada,
Britain, and the United States being made here at the
Center for International Studies. The study includes
an analysis of:

1. Political Implications of an Industrial Free Trade Area (Professor Thomas M. Franck, New York University);

2. Monetary Implications of an Industrial Free Trade Area (Professor Harry Johnson, London School of Economics);

3. Economic Impact on the United States (Professor Robert G. Hawkins, New York University);

4. Economic Impact on Britain (Hon. Maxwell Stamp and Mr. Harry Cowie, Maxwell Stamp Associates, Ltd.);

5. Economic Impact on Canada (Professor H. Edward English, Carleton University, Ottawa).

Since this matter has gained such imminent importance,
we thought that you might be prepared to participate in a
final discussion and review of this study before publication.
The Center for International Studies of New York University
is arranging a meeting of experts from Britain, Canada,
and the United States to be held at the Center in New York
on (the whole of) Saturday and Sunday, February 17-18. A
list of participants (to date) is herewith enclosed.

January 26, 1968

Attendance at the Conference does not obligate you to endorse the study but only to examine it critically, to offer suggestions. We will also ask you to consider a brief statement of introduction to the study which would serve to draw attention to its importance and would stress the need for giving serious consideration to its implications for the future of Canada, the United States, and Britain. However, participation at this meeting does not commit you to signing the proposed introduction, though we naturally hope that you will wish to do so.

We would, of course, be delighted to have you attend the whole conference, but if you are unable to do so we would like you to address the gathering briefly at a time of your own convenience on Saturday or Sunday. What scope you would wish to give yourself we would leave entirely to you and would be happy with anything from an official welcome to a more formal statement directed to the subject matter under discussion.

We will be sending you the five draft papers by
February 3rd.

I look forward to hearing from you soon and to the
honor of welcoming you to New York University.

Enc.

1/26/68

PARTICIPANTS
(to date)

CONFERENCE OF SPONSORS
INDUSTRIAL FREE TRADE AREA STUDY

Mr. Sperry Lea
National Planning Association
1606 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009

Professor H. Edward English
Carleton University
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Hon. Eric Kierans, M.P.O.
5631 Queen Mary Road
Hampstead, Quebec, Canada

Mr. John W. Holmes
Director General
-and-
Mr. Gordon R.S. Hawkins
Executive Director
Canadian Institute of Int'l Affairs
230 Bloor Street West
Toronto 5, Canada

Mr. Fraser W. Bruce
Director and President
Aluminum Co. of Canada
Box 6090
Montreal 3, Que., Canada

Sir Roy Harrod
The Old Rectory
Holt, Norfolk, England

Mr. Robert Roosa
Brown Bros. Harriman
59 Wall Street
New York, New York

Professor Richard N. Cooper
Department of Economics
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

The Hon. Mr. Justice N.T. Nemetz
Court House
Vancouver 1, B.C., Canada

Senator Jacob K. Javits
United States Senate
Washington, D.C.

Professor Thomas M. Franck, Director
Center for International Studies
New York University
New York, New York

Professor Robert G. Hawkins
Graduate School of Business Administra-
tion
New York University
New York, New York

Congressman Jonathan B. Bingham
House Office Building, Room 305
Washington, D.C.

Mr. Harry Cowie
Maxwell Stamp Associates, Ltd.
Moor House
London Wall
London, E.C. 2, England

Mr. Frank Cousins, General Secretary
Transport & General Workers Union
Westminster
London, S.W. 1, England

Rt. Hon. Douglas Jay
Ocean House
Little Trinity Lane
London, E.C. 4, England

Hon. Maxwell Stamp
Maxwell Stamp Associates, Ltd.
Moor House, London Wall
London, E.C. 2, England

Sir Eric Roll
30, Gresham Street
London, E.C. 2, England