Problems Facing Commonwealth

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28620, 24 June 1958, Page 14

Problems Facing Commonwealth

(N.Z Press Association —Copyright) The "Financial Times” said today that the Commonwealth could still provide valuable initiative for tackling world economic problems, but it was no longer capable of ordering its economic affairs in isolation.

The newspaper said this was the main conclusion to be drawn from the recent preparatory talks for the Commonwealth trade and economic conference in Montreal in September. "The economic problems facing the Commonwealth are those facing the world as a whole, problems too large to be adequately tackled except on an international scale.” it said.

“They are becoming increasingly involved, moreover, with the political struggle between East and West. “It would be a mistake, however. to underrate the influence which the countries of the Commonwealth could exert if they were ready to concert their policies.

, “The fact that the Commonwealth lacks resources to solve its own problems satisfactorily is a reason not only for doing whatever can be done to help itself, but for leading .the way towards wider agreement. "The sort of difficulties which have recently arisen over New Zealand butter and exports of British wool textiles to Canada cannot be settled in a vacuum,” it said.