ECONOMIC UNIT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 284, 30 November 1928, Page 7

ECONOMIC UNIT.

WELDING OF EMPIRE. Lord Melchett Anxious For Welfare Of Britain. " TIME TO ASSERT OURSELVES." (Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) (Received 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, November 29. "It is as clear as crystal that unless we succeed fairly soon in welding the Empire into an economic unit we shall see a tendency towards economic divergences," declared Lord Melchett at a luncheon of the Empire Industries Association. "The sentiment of goodwill will not indefinitely keep developing communities together. Just as there must be larger units in industry so must there be larger units in economics. "When we look at the prosperity of the United States to which we cannot see a stop being put with her great free trade area within the tariff wall, and when we see the growing tendency for economic rapprochement in Europe, we must wonder what is going to happen. "This country will absolutely challenge Sir Austen Chamberlain's reported statement that England is part of Europe. She is not. "Instead of turning her eyes to Geneva she should turn them to Ottawa and Sydney, and instead of trying to placate quarrelsome Europe we" should find together the Empire's great heritage. A conference of the Empire's big businessmen could work out a scheme of inter-Imperial trade, paying due regard to the aspirations of the Dominions to develop their own industries. "If only we had courage to put a ring or tariff fence around the Empire there would not be a free trader in this or any other country who could oppose the great extension of the free interchange of goods as this will ultimately involve. "I hope that we will never allow other nations to dictate what we are allowed to do with our great heritage. It is time that the people of Britain began to assert themselves."