FOREIGN ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL POLICY


take note of them and mend his ways before being subjected to chal-
lenge under 4 (d).
   It seems to me that the central thing that we are trying to get here
 is to record thlat the Governments of Canada, 'the United States and
 Cuba, and as many others as we can persuade to join us, have felt
 sufficiently strongly that the time has come for the British to start
 relaxing their restrictions [or?] to raise the issue formally in an inter-
 national forum. We do not propose to go so far as to ask for sanctions
 under the agreement, and if we press for a vote there will be bitter
 opposition and much animosity introduced into an atmosphere which
 so far has been reasonably cordial and in which we have made a very
 good impression on the Contracting Parties- by the moderation of our
 attitude.
   If we press for a vote in the Working Party, we will probably have
to press for a vote in the Contracting Parties and might squeak through
with a bare majority, but there would inevitably be a large number of
abstentions. I should think this would be a much weaker position for
us than to have our views recorded with all proper firmness and then
let that fact have its effect.
   Len 3 and So14 agree withý me on this point. So does John Deutsch,5
and Saad told me the other evening he does not think any vote
desirable.
   I hope you will think about this and see if Leroy 6 agrees. You may
start getting pressures from Treasury to insist on a vote.
   On the whole, things have gone well so far. We have won our ob-
jective of a consultation as of the current situation. We have won our
objective of separate, individual country consultation. We have won
our objective of the Fund report with its conclusions being incor-
porated in full in the records of the Working Party. We have
formally stated our opinion that relaxation should begin, and have
the warm support of Cuba and Canada on this point. And we have
kept a friendly atmosphere in which it has been the British who have
raised all the technical points and we who have kept the emphasis on
the substance.
  'So, let's not spoil it by pressing for a vote.
  One point that George Bronz makes, which should be borne in mind,
is that he feels the British press will report the result as, "GATT
fails

  'Leonard Weiss, Assistant Chief, Commercial Policy Staff.
  4Probably Saul R. Srole, Acting Assistant Chief, Monetary Affairs Staff,
Department of State, and Adviser, United States Delegation to the Fifth Session
of the Contracting Parties.
  'Canadian chairman of Working Party "K," Fifth Session of the
Contracting
Parties.
  'Leroy D. Stinehower, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State
for Economic Affairs.
     496-362-77   50


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