CONSIDENTIAL
18 November, 1969
B
But more
to Gilbert once again that they would regard it as very serious indeed if the Trade Relations Bill involving the repeal of the A.S.P. were not introduced in the very near future. generally Wellenstein thought that the ineffectiveness of the United States Administration Wils liable to lead to more restrictive- ness; and he believed that bilateral squeezes would be the technique which the Americans would deploy.
5
He spoke briefly about our impending change of policy on cotton textiles to ask what would happen on the assumption that we did join the Community; and he gave notice that, if and when this happened, there would be considerable pressure on us to revert to the quota system.
6.
He
Finally he mentioned the question of citrus fruits. accepted that there was no hope for the Community of getting sufficient votes to authorise the waiver. He said that the Commission would be considering its attitude tomorrow and the question would then go to the Permanent Representatives; but it would clearly be a choice between three courses of action, to cancel the preferences, to generalise them, or to generalise them to the developing countries. Ilis hunch seemed to be that even the Italians would accept the idea of generalising them to the developing countries.
CONFIDENTIAL
(K.C. Christofas)