EMPIRE AND TARIFFS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 279, 7 September 1935, Page 5

EMPIRE AND TARIFFS

AN INTERNATIONAL VIEWPOINT PREFERENCE SYSTEM OPPOSED. (United Press Association—Copyright). (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, September 6. The Associated Press special correspondent at Geneva, says that fulfilling the request that they examine the Anglo-French commercial treaty, representatives of Holland, Spain and Switzerland, on behalf of the Mandates Commission, submitted a report, including the statement: “It is common knowledge that 'Britain has always regarded the system, of preference between the Empire and Britain as compatible with, the most favoured nation! clause which it lengthily embodied in its commercial treaties with other Powers. This conception, which of itself is questionable, since Dominions have acquired full autonomy on commercial questions, is founded on the fiction that for Britain they are not foreign nations but subjects if his Brittanic Majesty. Foreign countries have mostly accepted this view.” Mr IS. M. Bruce, commenting on the report at the meeting of the League Council, said: “I have grave doubts as to the propriety of the committee s comments. . As far as Australia is concerned they are not acceptable as an authoritative opinion on the relations between members of the British Common wealth of Nations. Accordingly in accepting the rapporteur’s report it must not he taken that I accept in any way the committee’s views concerning the matter.”

Mr Eden also made reservations regarding the passage to which Mr Bruce referred.