OTTAWA CONFERENCE.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 10832, 2 April 1932, Page 3

OTTAWA CONFERENCE.

DATE OF OPENING CHANGED. Ottawa, March 31. The date of the opening of the Imperial Economic Conference at Ottawa has been changed from July IS to 21 to meet the sailing conveniences of oversea delegates, according to an announcement in the House of Commons on Thursday by the Prime Minister, Mr R. B. Bennett. At the same time, in a lengthy statement, he contradicted in emphatic terms in order to repair “the injury done to this country,” a dispatch in the “Toronto Star,” to the effect that representatives of the Irish Free State might not be invited to the conference. “Only to-day,” said Mr Bennett, “a cable had been received from the Minister of» External Affairs for the Irish Free State, Mr de Valera, thanking the Dominion for its hospitality and signifying agreeto the change of date.

ARGENTINE DESIRES A HEARING. London, March 31. The Government of Argentina has semi-officially approached Britain desiring to be represented at the Ottawa Conference owing to the large British financial interests in Argentina, especially the meat export industry. Although Britain is anxious to maintain her present trade relations with Argentina—one of her principal customers since the visit of the Prince of Wales—she has indicated that the Ottawa Conference will be purely a British meeting.