COLONIAL EMPIRE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 212, 20 June 1933, Page 5

COLONIAL EMPIRE

THE CLAIM BY GERMANY.

ADVERSE COMMENT BY "TIMES"

TRADE AND SETTLEMENT.

(United Press Association—Copyright). (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, June 19.

Astonishment is expressed by delegates at the remarkable memorandum presented to the Economic Conference by Dr. Hugenberg regarding Germany's claim to her colonies. This memorandum has since been withdrawn, but not before it created a generally bad impression. "The Times," describing it as an example of how not to make helpful contributions, says that Dr. Hugenberg's proposal was as inopportune as its general purport was vague and purposeless. As to the argument that Germany will not be able to regain "her old position as a payer of international obligations" until she is given a colonial empire in Africa, "The Times" points out that; before the war the German colonies had a total import and export trade with Germany of only one-half per cent, of the total of the German trade balance and did not absorb more than 23,000 Germans as settlers. "The Times" asks, are there many fewer Germans, in Tanganyika,, for instance, to-day, and . is Germany placed at any particular disadvantage under the mandatory system, with its principle of the open door—British Official Wireless.