London, Nov. 18.
A great step forward in the endea-your to strengthen the trade re tions between Great Britain and the United States was announced by the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain. in the House of Commons to-day.
In reply to Mr, C. R. Attlee, Leader of the Labour Opposition. Mr. Chamberlain said: "I am very happy to be able to inform the House that the informal, exploratory discussions with a view to reaching an agreed basis for the negotiation of a trade agreement between Britain and the United States have now reached a point at which the Governments of both countries feel able to announce that negotiations for such an agreement are contemplated."
The announcement. the Prime Minister added. marked a definite and well-recognized step. in the United States procedure of negotiations.
"I feel sure," he added. "that the j House will warmly welcome this further step towards an agreement between the two Governments."
The Prime Ministers statement was greeted with general cheers, The Belgian Foreign Minister, M. Paul Henri Spaak. was an interested listener of Mr. Chamberlain's announcement in the Distinguished Strangers Gallery.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.