GREAT GATHERING OF NATIONS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 219, 12 June 1933, Page 9

GREAT GATHERING OF NATIONS

Vast Problems of the World’s Economic Ills CONFLICTING INTERESTS TO BE RECONCILED General Attitude to Conference is One of Scepticism IMPORTANT ISSUES IN THE HANDS OF BIG SIX • By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received June 11, 7.15 p.m.) London, June 10. With a brief but fitting ceremony his Majesty the King on Monday will open the World Economic Conference in which hopes are centred almost too ambitious for fulfilment. Tins is the twentyfifth international conference held since the war. The Empire’s capital has risen to the occasion and placed the handsome new building, the Geological Museum at South Kensington, at the disposal of the gathering, adapted it to special requirements and devised every conceivable facility for communication between the delegates of sixty or more nations. The King will arrive at the conference at 3.30 in the afternoon and will address the 168 delegates from the green and gold dais standing before a gold microphone plate. Then will follow an interval while his Majesty departs. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald will speak next, determined to set an example for brevity. Thereafter formal business will be transacted concerning the credentials of delegates and future procedure. The conference is expected to last six weeks, though the possibility of a midsummer adjournment is not overlooked.. Official circles hesitate to predict that anything will eventuate in the shape of a treaty for economic peace, and express the opinion that the subjects are too complicated to submit to documentary definition. The subjects can broadly be grouped as follow:— First, monetary and credit policy. Secondly, increase in commodity prices. Thirdly, resumption of the movement of capital. Fourthly, removal of restrictions on international trade. Fifthly, organisation of the production of trade. The British policy will be stated by the Rt. Hon. Mr.' Neville Chamberlain, Chancellor of the Exchequer, though there will be nothing to prevent Mr. MacDonald leaving the chair and speaking on behalf of Britain if necessary. In the interests of truth it must be confessed that the general attitude toward the conference is mainly one of scepticism. The ordinary mind is unable to visualise useful results from the talk of representatives of 66 nations with conflicting interests to press. The Government also has been reproached for not producing a cut-and-dried policy for submission to the conference.

The impression is held that the decisions, if any, will not be reached by the 66 nations, but by the odd six, and possibly these will reach more important conclusions outside the conference.

An instance of this is a small item published in only one or two newspapers which records that Mr. Montagu Norman, Governor of the Bank of England, in conference with Mr. Cordell Hull and other American delegates and French and British representatives, discussed the subject of currency stabilisation. A small meeting like this well may be fraught with greater results than weeks of sitting in conference, though the meeting might not have occurred had the conference not been summoned.

TO RESCUE WORLD No Makeshifts Will Do ECONOMIST’S WARNING (Received June 11, 6.30 p.m.) London, June 10. The choice before the world in the Economic Conference is nationalism versus co-operation, writes Sir Walter Layton, the eminent economist, in the “News-Chronicle,” emphasising that there are 30,000,000 unemployed In the world, that 13,000,000 tons of shipping more than that submarined in the Great War. are idle, that farmers are impoverished, that budgets are unbalanced despite heavy taxation. "These are all symptoms of the post-war economic policy of attempting to reach prosperity independently, often at the expense of the remainder of the world,” lie writes. “Unless the issue is solved in a right manner, progress is impossible in other directions. Even the stablisation of currency, with a new international gold standard, will ultimately break down unless freer trade is permitted.” “The omens therefore at present are unfavourable. If the delegates shrink from the courageous road and continue to seek national self-sufficiency they might as well go home immediately. ”o makeshifts, or pious resolutions, will rescue the world from its present economic barbarism.” IN TOUCH BY AIR Words for the World RADIO ORGANISATION Received June 13, 7.35 p.m.). London, June 10. The Geological Museum, where the World Economic Conference meets, has become a virtual broadcasting house. A local control room has been established and includes a glass-walled observation post from which commentaries will be given. Microphones have been Installed in committee rooms and a special studio built to accommodate delegates who may be broadcasting summaries and eye-witnesses’ accounts to their own countries. There will be several direct broadcasts to. America His Majesty’s speech will be recorded for gramophone records, which will be sold for charities. LOWER TARIFFS Roosevelt Programme RECIPROCITY HOPES Washington, June 9. President Roosevelt is preparing a statement on policies of tariff reciprocity to clarify the situation resulting from his decision not to send a tariff resolution o Congress. Now his intention is to pursue the normal course of negotiation and submit treaties later for Congressional approval. The statement is expected to set forth that he hopes to enter into reciprocal agreements with Canada and other nations for a general lowering of tariff walls.

The President intends to go ahead with his programme at London, seeking a general tariff agreement.

DRINKS AND PARTIES Six-Language Barmen INTERESTING DELEGATES (Received June 11. 7.35 p.m.). London, June 10. Londoners, wllose own drinking hours are restricted, are particularly interested in the long bar at which every drink in the world will be available at any hour while the World Economic Conference is in session. Here the barmen will speak six languages and can serve anything from arrack of Arabia and vodka of Russia to the homely ale. Social events for the entertainment of delegates include the ballet at Covent Garden Opera House, parties at many great houses, banquets, city livery companies’ garden parties, and Government receptions. Among the interesting delegates is General Smuts, who has flown most of the way from Cape Town: Dr. Dolfuss. Austria’s harassed Chancellor, who also arrived by air: Dr. Schacht, President of the Reichsbank,- who arrived by air liner from Berlin; and M. Litvinoff, Russia’s Foreign Minister, whose arrival is a mystery. The Soviet Embassy on Friday night was without news as to when M. Litvinoff would arrive. while yesterday would only say “He is here.” Mr. J. Avenol, SecretaryGeneral of the Conference, who will shortly succeed Sir Erie Drummond, Secretary-General of the League of Nations at Geneva, will keep an expert eye over arrangements. CONCERTED POLICY Daladier States Aims STABILISED CURRENCIES Paris, June 9. M. Daladier inforined the Chamber of Deputies that he intended to do his utmost to promote the success of the World Conference. France did not consider that the manipulation of goid would solve currency problems. This must be the outcome of countries which had abandoned gold agreeing to stabilisation. There must be a concerted production policy for all countries. France would adhere to the forty-hour week, If other Powers decided on it. He sup ported public works as a remedy for unemployment. “GREAT OCCASION” Mr. Hull in Ireland DIVERSION RESENTED London, June 9. Mr. Cordell Hull, leader of the American delegation to the World Conference, questioned by 40 American and British pressmen, in reference to his reported use of the term "Irish Republic” Cork, said that he had been conferring for mouths with Free State representatives. He regretted that some people failed to r ise to the level of a great occasion, but sought to divert attention to little side considerations.