THIS SELF-RELIANCE

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22661, 16 March 1939, Page 3

THIS SELF-RELIANCE

TO THE EDITOR O F THE PRESS Sir, —Both Mr Savage and Mr Semple are determined to make this country completely self-reliant. As you point out, this is their explanation of the trade restrictions. Mr Savage chortles about it, Mr Semple thunders. Evidently both would be surprised to find that within this policy of economic isolation, an extreme form of economic nationalism, are to be found those elements which make for war. If Norman Angell is not mad, ‘this is a fact. Angell has presented a convincing case. It is to be found in his “The Great Illusion,” in “The Unknown Assassins,” and in "The Great Illusion —Now.” His argument is that economic nationalism, favoured by the Man in the Street, contains the root cause of war and that in the peacetime political policies, the direction of which is given by public opinion, are those offensive factors which bring about national antagonism and breed the war aims. If wars have their roots in economics, Angell’s argument is hard to controvert.

Mr Savage is going to insulate us by isolation; Mr Semple is sure that we can make and produce all we want. No other country has been able to achieve this, not even the United States of America, the British Empire, and the U.S.S.R. All these countries have shown that economic isolation or complete self-sufficiency is a costly business. Germany has and is paying heavily for her attempts to be selfsupporting. New Zealand appears to be finding out the same thing. Popular belief is that the seller obtains some great advantage which is denied to the buyer; hence the popular idea that so long as you do not buy vou must be insulated. The slump in the United States should disprove this idea. We live in the world and must be part of the community of nations. To prohibit imports from a country is regarded as a hostile act, tantamount to a declaration of war; to restrict trade is unfriendly, sure to engender ill-feeling. I do not say that the restriction of imports by New Zealand will plunge the world into war, but that those who hate war with impressive verbiage must find support of economic nationalism hard to square with their speeches—that is if they read Angell. One would prefer in this matter of self-reliance to find that Mr Semple was able to assure us that this winter there will be no shortage of electrical energy in the South Island. Last winter an interruption at Lake Coleridge put the system on a dangerous wobble. Since then a Diesel plant has been added on the West Coast, but at the same time a highly eccentric load has been taken on with the gold dredges and there have been other increases in demand. Public bodies evidently are anxious, especially as, in spite of a number of years in which to prepare, the provision of extra generating units cannot come within two years. Strong language may cause electrical discharges; but it will not supply electrical energy.—Yours, etc.. RATHER INTERESTED. . March 15. 1939.