Davies stands by for Moscow trade talks

To Russia with trade. Now that the alleged Russian spies have gone and relations between Britain and the Kremlin are gradually returning to what passes as normal, John Davies is standing by for an invitation to Moscow. The Trade and Industry Secretary, with order forms in his briefcase, was due in the Soviet capital in January. But following the mass expulsions of Russians and their families by the Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas‐Home, the situation—to quote a DTI man—got a bit ‘saggy’. In retaliation, the Russians promptly cancelled plans for the second meeting of the Anglo‐Soviet joint commission on applied science, technology, and trade. Now the department is expecting an invitation any time to enable the meeting—the inaugural gathering was in London in January last year—to take place in the autumn, probably in October. The result, according to information flowing back from our men in the British Embassy in Moscow, could be a dramatic stepping up in Anglo‐Soviet trade for British manufacturers willing to plunge in to what the ministry stress is a tough market place (fainthearts should stop at home).