NEW CRUSADE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 25, 31 January 1933, Page 3

NEW CRUSADE.

FREE TRADE FOR EMPIRE. ADVOCACY IN AUSTRALIA. (Prom Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, January 27. Many people in New Zealand will remember Mr. F. W. Doidge, who some 18 years ago was head of the reporting staff on the "Auckland Star." Mr. Doidge was born at Cootamundra, N.S.W., but got most of his journalistic experience in New Zealand, and when he remained at Home after the war he soon proved his value. He has risen high in London journalistic circles, being a director of the "Daily Express" and the "Evening Standard"; but he has come out here again to champion the cause which Lord Beaverbrook, the head of a great group of British newspapers, has most at heart —Empire Free Trade.

Though Mr. Doidge is really recuperating after an illness, he has been working energetically in Australia, and the interviews that he has given define his position clearly. He can depend on a great deal of public sympathy and support here for most of li!is doctrines.

It is obviously a mistake for England to pay £1,000,000 a day to foreigners for foodstuffs that she could buy from her own dependencies, thereby enabling them to purchase larger quantities of her goods in return. It is also evident that in future Britain will have to depend more upon the colonial market than the foreign market for the sale of her products.

But Mr. Doidge's difficulties begin as soon as he gets to the pointy of suggesting that our protective duties must be reduced so as to facilitate the sale of British goods in our markets. No doubt Lord Beaverbrook is quite honest when he maintains that inter-Imperial Free Trade is still a long way off, and that our protectionist system would not be interfered with for a long time to come, even if his policy were carried into effect. But the great majority of Australians, like the New Zealanders, are convinced protectionists, and they are wondering even now what is to be •the effect of those ominous provisions of the Ottawa agreement which appear to give Britain control of the industrial an<f economic development of the Dominions for the future. If Mr. Doidge had come here before the Ottawa Conference was held he would have had a better hearing. But as_ the Beaverbrook plan implies the necessity both for protection and preferential trade, the greater part of it is quite acceptable on this side of the world.

And when Mr. Doidge reaches Auckland early next month I have no doubt that many people will be glad, to hear what he has to say.