TRADE METHODS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 45, 2 December 1938, Page 5

TRADE METHODS.

GERMAN SYSTEM CRITICISED.

EXPORTS AT LESS THAN COSTS

(United Press Association —Copyright.)

LONDON, November 30.

An important reference to the conditions of economic competition in Finrope was made by the Secretary of the Department of Overseas Trade (Mr R. S. Hudson) in a speech at the end of a House of Commons debate on a private member’s motion on the development of export trade. Mr Hudson, dealing with the question why Britain did hot follow the example of the United! States in refusing most-favoured-nation treatment to German goods, said that there was no discrimination against British goods in Germany as it was stated was the case with certain United States goods. The British complaint against Germany was not that; but that by her methods Germany was destroying trade throughout the world.

According to information he possessed in his department it appeared that in the countries of Central and Southeastern Europe Germany was trading on the basis of paying to the producers in those countries much more than the world pays. If she was going to do that it was obviously at the expense of the German people. Germany was obtaining an economic stranglehold on some of these countries by raising the cost of livings to her own people and exporting goods at less than the cost price. To meet this competition the only method was to organise the British industries so that they would he able to speak as units' with the industries in Germany. Britain was stronger financially than many other countries, certainly stronger than any of the totalitarian States, and thus had an advantage which would rcsidt in her winning the fight.

His department was doing its best to see that more and more industries were organised on this basis.—British Official Wireless.