THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20088, 18 November 1930, Page 11

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

MR FORBES POPULAR. ; J'kaise for mk scilun. I (V.'.ITKZ, rKBSS ASSOII STICK HV ELECTRIC '■ TELEGRAPH —COPYKIGHT.) | (Received November 17th, 8..15 p.m.) | I.ON DON, November 37. j Commenting editorially on Imperial [Conference reputations, "The Times" | Rays that though he was hampered by ( the situation in Australia, Mr J. 11. Scullin rendered notable service as a mediator, especially in the closing stages of the Conference. Mr G. W. Forbes was universally popular," says the paper, "and Mr J. H. Thomas, Secretary of State for the Dominions, may bo credited with supporting Mr Ramsay MacDouald the | final struggle to save whatever was , from tlm wreck of So many | hopes, 'pile Uritisli Government emerged j from the ('on Terence shaken in credit." TJyj ".Sunday Times" nays: "The Conference broke up in an atmosphere ot defeat and disappointment. Its record is one of nullity ami of deferment. This Government must, certainly go down in history as the most incompetent of the century." A British Ofiicial Wireless message says that, speaking at a Red ford Label.r meeting on Saturday night, Cue Prime Minister (Mr Jli.cl.'nunld) expressed the vic'-v that it w. ; absolutely impossible for any British Government to tell the Dominion Prime Ministers that tho people nf (ireat. Britain could face a fiscal policy that would diminish fheir foreign trade, or impose taxes on j the people's food and the raw materials I of their factories. I lie was not doi;iiiritie ori I l 'roe Trade oi anything else; but the fact was that; in I these day.-. they were faced with certain ! conditions of compet it ion which threati cned to lower the standards of living, j '('he threat came not from tlifc Free ; Trade conn tries, but frpm protected I countries, where wages were falling. | Whatever might be said for tariffs or impost duties, no well-informed man 1 could say that they would keep the \ standards of life high, and enable the ' workers of the protected country to ' maintain their level of living at a really , human standard. ] The Prime Minister thought that a j Government faced with such problems 1 as his own ought to be granted some J secnritv. lie did not believe in an ' enrtv General Election, or that the | c ountry wished for one.