Aers Extract "The
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[TIMES] PAST
THETIMES
PRINTING HOUSE Square, London, EC.4.
lime " 24/4/69.
TELEPHONE: 01-236 2000
Liberalism turned into protectionism
Today the President of the Board of Trade, Anthony Crosland, meets the American Secretary of Commerce, Maurice Stans. There is not much doubt what they will talk about: world trade and the threat to it of growing restrictionism. What is less clear, in spite of Mr. Stans's several statements, is the policy of the Nixon Government.
Mr. Stans has laid down 10 unexceptionable points of policy. Among them he has affirmed his Government's belief in the need for the world's economies to expand; in freer world trade; and in open-table discussions (whatever they are) to remove obstacles to trade. He also declares the willingness of the United States Government to welcome foreign investment in the United States and its desire to work towards the "earliest possible abolition overseas investment controls. He says, apropos freer world trade, that changes should not be made in national tax systems to meet competitive situations.
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This is well in the mainstream of the liberalizing trend of But it could all be revealed as empty Washington thinking. platitudinizing by an illiberal reading of just one of his points of policy. All nations may participate in American markets, he says, "but not to a point that requires the dismantling of a major industry". And this is precisely the point where, throughout the world (with the single exception of this country), the most liberal trade policies have become protective.
More to the point still, this is precisely where the United States Government now is. Based on a huge, rich area of free trade, indus- try in the United States is basically protectionist and the Represen- tatives of Congress, subject to local and lobby pressures, are protectionist, too. The more liberal policies which found their expression in the Kennedy Round were to this extent anomalies, Just how deep these policies went was shown last year when Congress, called upon to play its part in the Kennedy Round, refused to do so and threw out legislation withdrawing the punitive American Selling Price system of valuing chemicals for customs, The fact is that President Nixon is under very real protectionist pressures and, as far as it is possible to judge, seems genuinely determined to resist them. Certainly, with the reservation already made, there is little that is overtly illiberal in the policies sketched by Mr. Stans.
There are, none the less, areas where discussion may be fruitful, Mr. Stans made it clear yesterday in Paris that a willingness to discuss non-tariff barriers to trade could be negotiable against. say, the A.S.P. system. Above all, he urged European producers to take the pressure off American markets voluntarily or cise run the risk of spurring Congress to bring in legislation to limit imports.
This has already been done by the steel industries of the Six and Japan. (Britain refused to join in but gave certain informal undertakings.) Mr. Stans is now urging the same course on manufac- turers of textiles-a more difficult job since this is a far less concentrated industry than steel.
The objection is that restrictions are restrictions, whether privately agreed or publicly imposed. And any increase carries a risk of tightening the spiral of competitive restrictionism. How- ever, there is no question that, if they cannot be escaped, volun- tary restrictions are far preferable to legislation. But they should only be temporary. The ideal is more, not less, trade. Some- one will suffer from the competition and the United States is placed to sufer less than any other country in the world from free
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TRAINED
diplomats,
British Leyland's hierarchy feign mild amnesia when drawn into discussing the circumstances of the conception, complications and prolonged delivery of their new baby: the Austin Maxi/alias 1500/alias ADO 14.
Superficially the chunky, five-door family salon we greet today has suffered a 12-month setback in its arrival- just to give Lord Stoker's engineers and assemblers time to produce reliability and quantity,
In reality that it has arrived at all is a near miracle.
Engineers, tylists and testers have
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four years and 19, (not including the £16m, Coston Hackett engine plant built specifically around the 1j-litre unit) have sono into this controversial project, which has created moje
argument, four- letter language and heart-searching at Longbridge thận any other car in Austin-Morris history,
Indeed, the "Maxi" label could be unkindly interpleted to represent maximum time, troible and cost for a maximum number of HLM C. people, though the\result of their labours is far from xiispleasing and it could prove a highly significant
car.
For, although a late comer, it fills a distinct middle-rana gap, being aimed at a more conservative market, than Ford's brash, sporty-concepf Capri, which burst upon it only twi months ago.
To understand the palàful pesfas tion of AD0 14 and why Brish Leyland rescued it through their
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No- not yet decision 14 months agu, we must jump back to late 1964, when B.M.C. chairman George/Har riman and his technical directari Aleg Teigonis, father of the finor, Mini and the whole front-wheel drive family, first showed me AỄH) 14, hidden in the secret projectf depart. ment at Longbridge,
Wats almost indistigguishable from the then new 1800, sporting a roof-hinged tail door and five genit, but decidedly ugly aroufid its snup nove and chopped off Findquarters The concept was pure boligonis; twoł boy body, maximum passenger space, minimum engine room and to hell with styling, Pininfariŋja must not run not here.
At Coffon Hackett the new engine and geŋkbox plant was taking shape a fex months later, planned to throb into life in 1967. The front-wheel-drive Minis and 1100, were by now sweeping up sales,
It was logs aỷ that the Farina tailed A60 shoukl toon bow out to the 1500.
But the 1800 bad had a bad launch in 1964 and 70,000 first-batch samples
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In January, 1968, with 1 48in. low, cama the phRM #herger with Leyland. At the Дhe 1900 was schoulidded for fance at Parls Court in factoḥ within six weeks of his week. Donald Stokes had afamun d brakes: "This car ", be ruled not reach the marketing me! we are 100 per cent kafisticad is right in style, shape, en ing and quantity We minat i* it, technically and comum pula
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But there was tos much whout its looks and engr Worst of all, perhaps, wam Ất over-optimistic hope that 150th would be ready by wiri ment day and that they wi bug free Already, the THE come a kind of political game of repsining tunaine s dence! qu broadly lurralded; (beer, through a kotira of ani "leaks" designed u
UMC Was vigorously afiead in advanced engiHORET the new bøyland masters they dare not risk whither t the pan ***ICIAN followed Vacuum ""} the showth Stoke's phraseology: "We going to have this launchini off at\fiælf-cons.”
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