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Draft DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOR THE PRESS April ,1948 The President today issued a proclamation putting into effect the provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade with respect to Czechoslovakia. The proclamation implements an obligation entered into by this Government last October 30 when the General Agree- ment was concluded at Geneva with 22 other countries. It becomes effective on May . The attitude. of the Government of the United States towards the events of last February in Czechoslovakia was publicly indicated in the joint statement of February 26, 1948 by the Secretary of State of this Government and by the Foreign Ministers of the Govern- ments of the United Kingdom and France. It has not changed. These events, however, do not directly affect the legal status of the reciprocal obligations under the Géneral Agreement. The President's action followed receipt of a com- munication from the Secretary-General of the United Nations informing this Government that the Government of Czechoslovakia had signed the Protocol of Provisional Application of the General Agreement and had thereby obligated itself to put the General Agreement into effect. Since Czechoslovakia has now placed the General Agreement in effect with respect to the United States and the other contracting parties, this country as well as the other contracting parties are obligated to apply the Agreement to Czechoslovakia, The CONTINUTION