WORLD AFFAIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 173, 24 July 1930, Page 6

WORLD AFFAIRS.

A WEEKLY REVIEW

(By BYSTANDER.)

Not unnaturally a great many people in responsible positions have , been ' discussing Australian finance of late, and a remark made by Mr. Snowden seems to Lave annoyed Mr. Scullin rather seriously. According to Mr. Snowden, "a safeguarding policy" lias been largely responsible for Australia's present unfortunate position. Mr. Scullin, on the other hand, attributes the Commonwealth's misfortunes chiefly to "the previous policy of allowing Australia to, be flooded with imports," and he rather neatly indicates that the increase in British imports has something to do with the case. Of course, Mr. Snowden makes no attempt, to square his Cobdenite maxim with tbe facts of economic experience elsewhere, If "safeguarding" is fatal to a country's finance, how can the magnitude and the prosperity of American industries be explained? Surely they are adequately safeguarded. It is rather a curious fact, by the way, that the Americans, though they have lending and investing money in Australia, are not seriously perturbed by the financial stringency which the Commonwealth is experiencing. Indeed, the "New York Times" has seized the opportunity to remind its readers that "Australia's resources are unlimited," and it maintains that Australia is, from the financial standpoint, "essentially sound." Of course, this may be an attempt to reassure the. Wall Street bankers who have been rather enthusiastic of late about Australian loan's.. But it is satisfactory so far as it goes. An Obstinate Cobdenite. Apparently Mr. Scullin hopes to be able to defend Australia from all libellous, aspersions at the coming Imperial Conference. But the Chancellor of the Exchequer has already delivered a decision which may make it diflicult for the Dominions to discuss either the finance or the trade or the economic position of the Empire with any great advantage to themselves. For Mr. Snowden, during the debate on Mr. Baldwin's censure motion last week, told the House that, while the British Government would go to the Conference "barring no questions from discussion," it was fully resolved to approve no conclusion which might involve Britain "in a food taxation policy or a general Protectionist policy." This dictum will remind all advocates of Imperial Reciprocity of that famous Conference some twenty years ago when Mr. Asquith, Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Churchill "locked, bolted and barred the door" against the appeals of the Dominions on behalf of Preferential Trade. The Empire has never yet realised how much injury it has sustained through that decision. In the present instance the "Daily Telegraph" lias protested that Mr. Snowden, "in ruling out Protection from the conclusions of the Imperial Conference," has largely destroyed the interest- of, the Dominions in the debates; and it condemns his negative and obscurantist attitude as "insanity." Belgium's Birthday. On ' Sunday the centenary of Belgian independence was celebrated with appropriate pdmp and ceremony in London. It was only )in 1830 that Belgium succeeded in d'etaching herself from Holland, to which she had been united against her will by the Powers who settled the affairs of Europe in 1815 after the downfall of Napoleon, The Congress of Vienna decided that Belgium—hitherto the Spanish or Austrian Netherlands —should be governed by the same ruler as Holland, a prince of tlitf house of OrangeNassau. But the Belgians differ from the Dutch in race, religion and language, . in, their past history,'their habits and their views of life. They determined to secure their freedom, and the Revolution of July, which broke out in France in 1830 and hurled Charles X. from the throne, gave them their opportunity. They rose in arms, and though the Dutch bombarded Antwerp and used all the forces at their command, the Belgians won their liberty. The Powers, finding their hands full with disturbances elsewhere—including a great rising in Poland—decided to accept the, situation and concede independence to Belgium. The Dutch obstinately refused to give way, and it.was not till the Powers threatened to use force themselves that the whole question was definitely settled in 1833. Meantime the Belgian Congress chose a German prince to rule the country—Leopold of Saxe Coburg, uncle of Prince Albert and the "dear. Uncle Leopold" of Queen "Victoria's letters; and his grand-nephew Albert worthily holds the Belgian throne to-day. Is it War? Something like a sensation was created last week in New York by Mr. James Gerard, the man who was American Ambassador at Berlin when the Great War broke out, and subsequently expressed his views about Kaiserism in two interesting books, Mr. Gerard declares that war between Italy and France is "in the air" and "imminent"; and, like most other people who have considered the question, he regards Italy as the aggressor. Nor .does Mr. Gerard stand alone in this conviction, A few weeks ago Mr. Frank Simonds, perhaps the best-informed of all American journalists, declared that unless Mussolini' dies and Fascism collapses a war between France and Italy is "an immediate and continuing possibility." The Duce, Mr. Simonds thinks, has "reached the limits of development" so far as the internal resources of Italy are concerned, and he must look abroad for expansion. Mr. P. S. Mowrer, of the "Chicago Daily News," maintains that Mussolini has persuaded the Italians/that "they are being cheated of their rightful possessions," such as Nice, Corsica and Savoy. He points out that Albania is now an Italian protectorate, while Yugoslavia,' its nextdoor neighbour, is allied to France. "A political revolt, in Albania might necessitate the landing of Italian troops to preserve order," and so we might, have another European war springing suddenly out of some "unfortunate incident" in the 'Balkans. The Albanian Peril. This idea that Albania, now under Italian protection, may bo the scene of a sudden outbreak of hostilities, seems to be widely disseminated .just .now. An English correspondent, writing from Vienna recently, gave his personal experience' of the state of Albania, and he is inclined to fear the worst. Italy has already poured into Albania enough arms and munitions to equip five armies; every road'now being built is a strategic military road leading to the Yugoslav frontier; every bridge' is constructed strongly enough to carry tanks; and barracks are being put up all over this primitive and barely civilised country. There are hundreds of Italian officers there trainingtroops, and there is a strong Italian survey party engaged in mapping out the whole region in great detail. The Yugoslavs are watching all this, and they are beginning to complain, of "encirclement" just as' Germany did before the war. Italy lias alliances with Hungary and Greece, she dominates Albania, she lias great influence in Bulgaria, she is, on good terms with the Turks. Even Rumania, generally so amicable to France, seems to hesitate between Italy and Yugoslavia. All these signs and omens taken together suggest ( that Italy is making a bold "bid for ascendancy in the Balkans, and this may mean a struggle with Yugoslavia— in other words, the lighting of a conflagration of which no .man can eaf.ely predict the end,