YUGOSLAVIA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1936, Page 11

YUGOSLAVIA.

FIELD FOR TRADE. WOOL AND DAIRY PRODUCE. OPPORTUNITY FOR DOMINION. With the object of fostering trade relations between New Zealand and Yugoslavia, Mr. E. Mandich, honorary trade representative of Yugoslavia in the Dominion, leaves Auckland by the Mariposa this afternoon en route to his native country. Although he has been a resident of New Zealand for 34 years, Mr. Mandich has been trade representative for four years only. He will return as official trade commissioner of his country in the Dominion, as one of the primary objects of his trip overseas is to receive his appointment. Mr. Mandich will first visit America, where lie will meet his inventor cousin. Nikola Tesla, and from there he will so to France to be present at the unveiling, on July 2(5, of the Canadian war memorial on Vimy Ridge. The memorial is of particular interest to Mr. Mandich, as it has been fashioned from a particularly hard stone obtained only from Yugoslavia. Later he will attend the Olympic Games at Berlin, and from there he will go direct to Yugoslavia. He expects to be back in New Zealand by the end of the year, but will again visit Yugoslavia in the following April to arrange agencies to handle various New Zealand products. • First Wool Shipment. During the past four years Mr. Mandich has been actively engaged impressing on the Yugoslav Government -the advantage of purchasing its wool sup plies in New Zealand, and in this connection he was able to supply it with valuable information concerning freights. His efforts were crowned with success last year when an order for Dominion wool was received, but unfortunately the order came a trifle on the late side, as it coincided with the tail end of the season. The result was that only a

few thousand bales were purchased, and this, said Mr. Mandich this morning, was only a fraction of his country's requirements. Another hitch occurred in that the first cargo of wool went first to New York, and when it reached its destination the authorities challenged the certificate of origin. The matter was satisfactorily adjusted finally, and it is not anticipated that there will be any difficulty of a similar nature in the future, as necessary certificates will be obtained in New Zealand. "Yugoslavia lias material which Neiv Zealand buys and must buy," said Mr. Mandicli, "and in addition the Dominion can benefit greatly by reciprocal trade arrangements with that country. "'All that is required to foster trade between the t,wo countries is assistance from the New Zealand Government. The balance of trade will be considerably in New Zealand's favour —£500,000 annually. I have been promised by the Government that they will treat Yugoslavia as a most favoured nation. That promise has been given me both in writing and verbally, and I think we have at ieast a claim to such treatment, as the Yugoslav Government has treated Great Britain and her colonies as 'most favoured nation' countries for the last live years." Among articles which Mr. Mandich intends to arrange to be supplied by Yugoslavia to New Zealand are tobacco and cigarettes, which he claims are of Turkish flavour and free from impurities; hardwoods, which are particularly suitable for furniture and building purposes; and asbestos sheets. Products which he suggests can be shipped to Yugoslavia in return include condensed and dried milks, casein, butter, wool, flax, kauri gum and hides and skins. New Zealand butter, he explained, ha:already found its way to Yugoslavia and he considers that he could easily place 10,000 tons in Eastern Europe, including Yugoslavia, Czecho-Slovakia, Austria and Hungary. There were great prospects for New Zealand butter and wool and other raw materials in Yugoslavia, he added. A shipment of hides and skins had left the Dominion for his country last week, and there had alreadv been inquiries about New Zealand flax! Publicity For Dominion. While in Yugoslavia Mr. Mandich intends to arrange a conference between Mr. Dini, of Messrs. Swift and Co.,

Ltd., Dunedin, wool brokers, representatives of the textile industries, and the Yugoslav Government,. with a view to developing the wool trade. He is taking away with him some Maori curios which he and the Suniich brothers, of Auckland, are presenting to the principal museum of Yugoslavia, films indicative of New Zealand's attractions, which will be shown in the University of Belgrade and other institutions, and literature which will be distributed among touris-t resorts. At the request of Mr. Gilbert Archey, director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, he will bring back to the Dominion samples of the stone which has been used for the Canadian memorial on Vimy Bidge, and he will also endeavour to obtain Yugoslav flags for hanging in the Auckland museum. He will also attempt to obtain for the museum samples of pottery of the iron and bronze ages.