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Last week the African nations renewed their membership for another five-year term—and won $780 million in development funds—but farsightedly voted down France's proposal to limit associate membership and thereby discriminate against Britain's former African possessions. Hoping to broaden Europe's commitment to Africa, despite Khrushchev's cry that the Common Market is a "new form of colonialism." the African delegates won agreement from the Six that "analogous treatment" should be offered former British colonies.
The Biggest Problem. By far the most crucial issue involves Temperate Zone producers, notably Australia, Canada and New Zealand, traditionally Britain's biggest food suppliers. Britain wants guarantees that they will find continuing markets for their grain, meat and dairy products. They will no longer be allowed free entry into Britain when she adopts the full Common Market tariff, which is designed to protect European farmers. France is Western Europe's biggest wheat producer, and opposes permanent concessions to the Commonwealth producers. since she hopes to sell French surpluses to Britain (which may have to pay as much as 10% more for her food). Probable solutions: 1) gradual application of tariffs over a transition period of eight to twelve years so that the Commonwealth growers will find new markets; 2) world-wide commodity agreements, possibly by 1970.
In its indignation over the possibility of such a deal, Australia last month pointedly met with Chinese Communist officials to discuss ways of increasing trade. In fact, say economists, Britain's preferential trading arrangements with Australia and Canada pampered their economies too long by encouraging them to export to far-off Britain instead of developing closer and more profitable markets. Britain is most worried about New Zealand, which is virtually an English farm and ships 62% of its total exports (mostly dairy products and meat) to Britain, where they will no longer be able to compete after Common Market tariffs apply. The British are least worried about Canada, which sells only one-sixth of its total exports to Britain and has ready markets for its bread grains.
The Case Against. The future of the Commonwealth has become a deeply emotional issue among Britons, who remember gratefully its ungrudging gifts of troops and guns in two near-mortal wars. Empire-Firster Lord Beaverbrook has waged a mighty campaign to stir up British sentiment on behalf of the Commonwealth and against the U.S. and Germany, which his papers accuse of plotting to "steal" British markets to round out the picture, the Daily Express predicted recently that England will be flooded with "French mutton stew."
On more significant grounds, the Labor Party's left wing fears that Common Market membership may jeopardize further nationalization of industry if a Labor government returns to power, and it generally distrusts Western Europe's massive success with planned free enterprise—a shattering riposte to Marxism of all shades. Opposition Leader Hugh Gaitskell, though privately in favor of Britain's entry, is biding his time; if the Tories, at an eleven-year low ebb, fail to win favorable terms, the Labor Party and rebellious right-wing Tories could