TNAG-0144-FCO40-180-Exports-of-textiles-to-United-States-of-America-1969 — Page 191

CONFIDENTIAL

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2. MY AMERICAN COLLEAGUE CONFIRMED THAT LONG HAD TAKEN A VERY FIRM

LINE ON TEXTILES AND STOOD HIS GROUND. PERHAPS HE, LIKE THE

GERMANS, HAD BEEN TOO FIERCE. THIS WAS CERTAINLY STANS'

REACTION. AS TO THE EFFECT ON AMERICAN POLICY, THERE WAS NOW A

CLEAR PICTURE OF THE GATT IMPLICATIONS WHICH CONFIRMED WHAT STANS

HAD HEARD IN BONN AND THE HAGUE AND (RATHER LESS SHARPLY ACCORDING

TO THE AMERICANS) IN BRUSSELS. IT WAS LESS CLEAR WHAT EFFECT

THIS WOULD HAVE ON AMERICAN ACTION. NO DECISIONS WOULD, HOWEVER,

BE TAKEN UNTIL AFTER STANS' FAR EASTERN TOUR.

3.

MY ADVICE, IN THE LIGHT OF THIS, IS THAT THE LINE IN YOUR

TELEGRAM NO 310 IS ABOUT RIGHT FOR HANDLING STANS IN LONDON.

PROVIDED WE FOLLOW AND SUPPORT THE FIRM LINE TAKEN BY LONG AND THE

GERMANS ON SUBSTANCE, I THINK WE COULD AFFORD TO SHOW UNDERSTANDING

FOR THE FIX WHICH THE AMERICANS HAVE GOT THEMSELVES INTO OVER

TEXTILES. WE MUST LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN TO GET THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE

PRICE OUT OF THEM IF, REJECTING THE ADVICE STANS HAS GOT ON HIS

TOUR, THEY DECIDE TO RESTRICT TEXTILE IMPORTS BY SOME METHOD

OR ANOTHER. IN ANY CASE STANS WILL BE PRETTY EXHAUSTED WHEN HE

GETS TO LONDON ( HE SHOWED SIGNS OF FATIGUE IN GENEVA) AND A LITTLE

KINDNESS MAY HELP THE MEDICINE DOWN.

4. AS TO OTHER TOPICS ON STANS AGENDA, AGRICULTURE AND NON-

TAPIFF BARRIERS GENERALLY, WITH BORDER TAXES, WILL CERTAINLY BE

PAISED IN LONDON. BUT I HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WILL BE USED

MAINLY AS AMMUNITION IN THE CAMPAIGN TO GET SOMETHING AGREED ON

TEXTILES. I DO NOT THEREFORE THINK THAT WE CAN BUY STANS OFF BY

OFFERING CONCESSIONS, OR CHANGES IN OUR OWN POSITION, ON THESE OTHER

MATTERS, ALTHOUGH WE SHOULD SHOW SYMPATHY AND SUPPORT FOR THE

AMERICAN DESIRE TO GET THEY FULLY DISCUSSED UNDER THE GATT PROGRAMME

OF WORK.

CONFIDENTIAL

/FCO

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