The Press Friday, March 2, 1923. Trade Within the Empire.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17702, 2 March 1923, Page 6

The Press Friday, March 2, 1923. Trade Within the Empire.

A deputation iron the British Empire Producers'' Orgam-atw. expressed itself on Tuesday to WiiL-rn JoynsonFf7^' r -s with a ve;-.on:.inc=: '-hat ?ras somewhat v,n'i-;.;'.. O'jTi-u-ly, t«. oto o: hs verr.n.-otit wnnst • ti - - t>ie extent sng-ge.*t«.-d> inier:'-:ri- --uti-, oodles, i '-(■.■.- it should he •'." ■•. er."fi*-en: control of tmae aad ir.diistry. but t'r.v ; roucT inczs ot tno ■.;-< m?" prit=ented by Mr Morgan are Vor'botl. selish and un-5-!ri.in reasons tn-: I>:rr;ii-.ion.s the H ■• icelind a t.'-nfr prefe.renc-e of mil-! i;»r!s of pounds, v-hji-- tho reeponsft to t':-.5 ;•> tr« m'.-ist am.u-.rig m Im{...•ri.ii reL.twtis. Agamst Aiistri'iia j concesstfT. <f £>.'XX<.o:o in 1021 Brl-i ;am allowed, fo-r exampk, Uss thanj i:>;>j.r.'», i-.ri-i in face •>• it plaiit Silt frr-ni Nerr Zealand ••: 10 per cont. ':•;; i tender-, tb; "VV;ir Offi« has; T'x<*iilly gr>n.-> r-ast N-iw Zeal.-nd and Australia both and bought a million tins | c.-f niieat from tho I'r.ited States. Nor i z -. it -ilear n-'r.at escase the Home Gov- I e;-nrnent girF.<s for doing such things, j Oifiruiily. the whole Empire is com- j nutted to some form of Imperial prei-cr- I eiwe. At the lmpen.it Conference of j Ifil7-l8 it was •'.strongly »nd! unani-; • mwisly urged"—we quote the Chair-j man himself, Viscount Long—"that aaj '•soon .is war ended., active, sner-I : -getie steps should be taken by eaohj " part of the Empire to unite the Eni- " pire for the purposes of trade.' There is hardly a put-lie man of eminence anywhere n'ho has not at some time or other given TigorouA expression to similar sentiments. .Yet we drift on from year to year giving much and receiving little, until, as the deputation said bluntly, there is a danger, if | something is not done, of "a great " revulsion of feeling in the Dominions" against preference of any kind. But apart altogether from sentiment and declarations of policy, the attitude of tbe Homeland 1 is surprising for its sheer imprudence. Tho Old World stall holds the balance of trade and of population. Yet tho day is not so far distant— are those living who will see it—when, so far- at least as the British world is concerned, the people and the wealth will be predominantly overseas. If BuTope were stable again, and there were nothing to consider but a Canada of ten millions and an Australia and New Zealand of six, it would certainly be difficult for Britain to offer us cheerfully the preference we offer her. Bat the Dominions look, and must look—the whole Empire must a period half a century ahead.-To-day each man, woman, and child in the .four Dominions is worth six timea as much to the' British, exporter a» each person in Europe. Even before the ', war the relation was approximate thesame.' And when there are fifty or sixty millions of white people in tbe Dominions instead of fifteen or sixteen millions, when the strength of the Empire for defence as well aa for trade is in Canada, South Africa, Australia, and :New jSealand, tho meaning' of Imperial preference will he seen to have been self-preservation. It is earnestly to be hoped that the result of tins last appeal will foe something more definite than an official expression of sympathy. To call in the New World, as many say thai Britain should do, to redress the baianco of trade with the Old, would mean an industrial revolution. But for Britain to buy our produce when we buy her manufactures, for her to take those ''actwe, energetk) steps" that ths> Imperial Conference decided on to unite the Empire for tbe purposes of -trade, involves rto transformation in processes or plant; and it means security to the whole British Commonwealth..