BRITISH SHIPPING PROBLEMS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21085, 9 February 1934, Page 9

BRITISH SHIPPING PROBLEMS

DISCUSSION IN HOUSE OF LORDS GOVERNMENT ACTION ASKED (BRITISH OrriClAt. ■WUtELJSS.) (Received February 8, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, February 7. After a brief debate, the House of Lords agreed to a resolution calling for the immediate and most serious attention of the Government to the question of maintaining the well-being of British shipping. Replying to the debate, Lord Stanhope (Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs) agreed that British shipping had been heavily hit by the world economic situation, but had shown steady improvement during the last year or two. Although there were 2,000,000 tons of British shipping idle, the proportion of idle British shipping was less than that of any other great maritime power except Japan. He proceeded;— "For 100 years foreign ships have had the i'ree right to enter our ports, and the only thing we can do is to take action and press for equal facilities from foreign countries for our shipping. "We cannot continue to give foreign countries facilities which they deny to us, and we may have to retaliate.

"We have got something to sell, we have got markets, and if foreign countries wish to trade in our markets they must give us an equal chance to trade in theirs. If they sell to us they must take our exports, and if they do not take our merchandise they must take our services."

The Government was giving the utmost attention in its power to the problem, and the President of the Board of Trade (Mr Walter Runciman) hoped to produce something that would help British shipping.