CORONATION SOUVENIRS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 172, 17 April 1937, Page 6 (Supplement)

CORONATION SOUVENIRS

Foreign Dumping Into Britain

In a dingy factory in the Harsfa Street of Budapest men and girls are working 12 hours a day making half a million statues of King George 11 for sale in Britain during the coronation, says the “Sunday Chronicle.” Crowds gather every day to watch the hundreds of white statues of Britain’s King drying in the workshop windows. And they wonder why coronation souvenirs .should be made in such numbers in Hungary. There are three types of statues. One shows King George in admiral’s uniform, another in the uniform of the Guards, and the third depicts the King in bis coronation robes. The order was obtained through Mr. Francis Aldor, who has contacts in London with many British .wholesale merchants, and already the first consignment of plaster statues—all marked “Made in Hungary”—has arrived in Britain. Head of the Budapest firm that is supplying Britain with statues of our own King is Mr. Francis Vanczak, a young Hungarian sculptor. “I can make these statuettes much more cheaply than they can be made in Britain,” Mr. Vanczak said, “and despite the 100 per cent, duty on coronation souvenirs which the British

Customs authorities have imposed we make a profit.” Board of Trade officials to whom was mentioned the dumping in Britain of the 500,000 Hungarian statuettes of King George confessed that having imposed the 100 per cent, duty, they are helpless to do more. “This heavy duty was calculated to reduce imports of coronation souvenirs to a minimum. If they still come we can do little else.” Here are other countries that are hoping to profit from the coronation: Japan.—Exporting Union Jacks and souvenir handkerchiefs and a consignment of “coronation apples” from Yokohama.

Czechoslovakia. — Medallions, souvenir pottery, and Union Jack handkerchiefs. Germany.—Coronation souvenirs and toys are being manufactured in vast quantities. France—Coronation model gowns and novelties exported from Baris warehouses.

Switzerland. —Swiss cheeses and chocolates with special coronation wrappers for British export. Austria. —Huge quantities of wallets and bags marked: "A souvenir of the coronation.”