CONFIDENT IAL
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4. LONG TOOK, AND TO THE END MAINTAINED, THE LINE THAT IT WAS NOT A MATTER OF PROCEDURE BUT OF THE SUBSTANCE ON WHICH CONSENSUS IN GATT WAS NEEDED. HIS ADVICE WAS THAT NO CONSENSUS EXISTED AND
THAT IT WOULD BE HARD TO GET ONE. HE HIMSELF REGARDED THE PROPOSALS
AS A SERIOUS BLOT ON THE U.S. RECORD AS CHAMPIONS AND LEADERS IN
GATT: THEY WOULD REMOVE A SIZEABLE CHUNK OF TRADE FROM LIBERALIS-
ATION AND THEY WOULD PROVOKE A GENERAL REACTION ELSEWHERE ( EVEN
IF THE U.S. CLAIM WERE ACCEPTED THAT THERE WOULD BE NO REACTION
FROM OTHER DOMESTIC INDUSTRIES). THUS TWENTY YEARS OF TRADE LIBERALISATION WOULD BE UNDONE.
5.
IN FURTHER DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE SOLUTION THE AMERICANS
REJECTED RESORT TO ARTICLE XIX ON THE GROUND THAT THE TARIFF
COMMISSION WOULD NOT ALLOW IT. THEY WERE ALSO AGAINST BILATERAL DEALS
BECAUSE THEY NEEDED AN INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK FROM A LEGISLAT-
IVE POINT OF VIEW''. THIS BROUGHT THE DISCUSSION BACK TO DEAD
CENTRE.
6.
LONG'S GENERAL IMPRESSION OF THE TALKS WAS THAT, WHILE STANS
WOULD NO DOUBT LEARN FAST, HE WAS STILL COMPLETELY INEXPERIENCED IN
INTERGOVERNMENTAL MATTERS. HE HAD PLUNGED IN AT THE DEEP END ONLY
BECAUSE OF TEXTILES. ON THE OTHER GATT ISSUES WHICH LONG RAISED
(THE U.S. POSITION IN GATT GENERALLY AND ON THE WORK PROGRAMME, PREFERENCES FOR L.D.CS. AND THE TIMING OF ANY NEGOTIATION ON NON-
TARIFF BARRIERS) STANS TALKED GENERALITIES BUT SEEMED TO BE AT SEA
ON DETAILS. INDEED HE SHOWED EMBARRASSMENT WHEN LONG PRESSED HIM FOR
AMERICAN IDEAS ON A NEGOTIATING TIMETABLE. HE SAID NOTHING ABOUT
POSSIBLE NEGOTIATIONS THIS SUMMER (PARAGRAPH 3 OF THE COMMUNIQUE IN HAGUE TELEGRAM NO. 213). HE WAS ALSO EVASIVE ON ASP WHICH LONG
SAID WAS NOW THE TOUCHSTONE OF U.S. SINCERITY IN THE GATT. LONG
THOUGHT MR. GILBERT A NICER MAN BUT ''RETIRED, LIBERAL AND WITH NO
CUTTING EDGE''. STANS WOULD ALWAYS COME OUT ON TOP.
17.
CONFIDENTIAL
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