UNDER FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 228, 26 September 1930, Page 7

UNDER FIRE.

PRESSMEN'S BARRAGE. Mr. Scullin Cautious But Frank At First Interview. " EXCELLENT IMPRESSION." (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 10 a.m.) LONDON, September 25'. Mr. J. H. Scullin, at his first contact with journalists, including American and Continental representatives, who packed a gathering at the Savoy Hotel, appeared to make an excellent impression. He was cautious but frank. , The outstanding feature of his interview was his emphatic declaration concerning the principle of secession. There was a fusillade of questions bearing on economic issues embracing inter-Imperial trade and Australia's standard of living. All the interviewers sought to obtain amplification of Mr. Scnllin's carefully prepared written statement. In some cases the Prime Minister parried the questions as entrenching on conference policy, but to others lie gave concise, impromptu declarations sufficiently definite to appease the questioners' curiosity. The best sign that good relations lmd been established was the early lapsing into a friendly and more intimate discussion of his birthplace, his tastes in art, literature and travel. The first searching question put to Mr. Scullin was an elaboration o' his reference to the urgent need of economic co-operation. Mr.. Scullin said that methods would be discussed at the Imperial Conference and he could not enter into details because it would be interpreting, the T.U.C. and the Federation of British Industrie' memorandum. v Ah English journalist askt."- how, in the face of the reduced imports to balance the Budget, could Britain expect an expansion of exports to Australia. Mr. Scullin: We are not yet'at the Imperial Conference, at which.l have quite a number of things to submit. I believe we can build up Australian industries and still leave a field for a variety of British manufactures, especially goods now supplied by foreigners. The Questioner: Will not the trade treaties of Italy, Germany and France entrench on those? Mr. Scullin: We have not entered on those treaties. We are very keen to strengthen reciprocity with '

An American Inquiry. Replying to an American Mr. Scullin explained that migration activity depended on the solution of their.own unemployment pribbm. The unemployed numbered roughly 180,000. A journalist, whc;6 main theme was the chance of developing . vitish exports, made a partially heard reference to Australia trying to live on her own resources aloof from the rest of the world, teaching the City of London a lesson, at which Mr. Scullin broke into a broad smile and said:' "I prefer not to answer hypothetical questions like that." Asked in what spirit the people of Australia faced their difficulties 1 Mr. Scullin said: "If I interpret them aright, they. regard .their difficulties as temporary." ' , i ' '"What about the standard of living?" .-asked somepne. ■- ■, ' . Mr. Scullin: We hope to balance the Budget and meet our obligations without reducing the basic wage on which ,the standard of living is mainly based." The Questioner: If that is impossible Will you shrink from facing a wages reduction ?. Mr. Scullin: It is riot for me to say. We are hopeful of-, doing it some other "way. ' _ ■ ' ■ . . ' South African and Secession. A South African raised the matter of secession. Was Australia declaring her right to secede? . Mr.Scullin: My answer is no. We do not regard our right as being challenged and we are not desirous of exeicising it. We believe the right exists. Equality of status means that, but we want to keep the Empire connection. The Questioner: The matter will crop up in an attempt to lay down the right definjtely. . Mr. Scullin: I will deal with it as it arises. Replying to a question regarding West Australia's secession from the Commonwealth- Mr. Scullin said: It is no more likely the State will secede than that we are to secede from the Commonwealth of Nations. - * - Mr. Scullin, in ' his typed statement issued to journalists this afternoon, repeatedly stressed' the family character of the British Commonwealth of Nations Australia's. desire to continue therein and the necessity of constantly conferring.

Repudiation Question. The statement deals at length with the repudiation question and states: We are a solvent nation. I sincerely hope that no more will be heard of the suggestion of repudiatio- . The statement significantly dealt, with the recent T.U.C. and Federation of British Industries' joint memorandum to Mr. Mac Donald, adding: "TJie insistence of all these bodies upon the urgent heed of economic co-operation in the British Empire will be_ strongly supported by Australian opinion. "I hope, however, • that the policies which we will be able to approve at the conference will go far beyond the creation of economic, consultative machinery, and will lead to a direct stimulation of the development of our joint resources for trade. It should surely be possible for the conference to devise methods to increase the prosperity of the British peoples as a whole."