BRITISH SHIPPING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 32, 7 February 1934, Page 11

BRITISH SHIPPING.

"POLICY WANTED." COMPLAINT OF "TIMIDITY," HON. MR. SHAW'S VIEWS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Tlie Hon. Alexander Shaw, chairman of tho P. and O. Lino, arrived by the Monowai to-day on a holiday visit to Now Zealand. In an interview he urged tho need for a definite British shipping policy. This would be the only way of preventing tho proecss of decay which had set in so far as the British mercantile marine was concerned. _ Mr. Shaw said the shipping which carried the commerce was as necessary as the commerce itself, and in that sphere they were entirely without defence against economic aggression. "We are not oven a power ty bargain," ho said. "We have nothing to bargain with, and as a consequence we have seen the decline of the British Mercantile Marino from 43 per cent to the world's. tonnago before the war to 29 per cent to-day. That process is still continuing. Before Britain took power to negotiate by tariffs there was a large body of people with cold feet who held that it would be unwise for ns to defend ourselves" for fear that wc might offend sumo foreign, country.

"I find in certain quarters at Homo tho same timidity complex to-day. It leads to inaction in regard to foreign naval ambitions as a sort of peace offering. Certain of these countries have said quite definitely that the foundation of a strong navy is a strong mercantile marine, and although the economic position does not make a huge mercantile, marine necessary they have built up that navy. "What wc want is an Imperial shipping policy. If wet had had that tho present disastrous position could never have arisen. If we go on without an Imperial shipping policy there is nothing whatever to prevent the process of decay continuing until it is too late to repair it."