EMPIRE TRADE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 106, 29 January 1938, Page 12

EMPIRE TRADE

No Word Of Conference In London OTTAWA AGREEMENTS New Zealand’s Attitude Well Known Tlie New Zealand Government has had no intimation at all of any conference being called in London to discuss the revision of the Ottawa Agreements along the lines mentioned in a cablegram from Australia published yester day. Tins was made clear by the Prime .Minister, Rt. lion. Al. J. Savage, in an interview last evening, and it appears that as far as New Zealand is concerned mystery surrounds the entire proposal. Frequent references to such a conference have been made in the Australian Press during the past few weeks, and yesterday’s cable message went so far as to announce the personnel of the Australian delegation. It-was also stated that several officers of the Commonwealth would leave for Washington to make preliminary arrangements for a commercial agreement with the United States. “I can only repeat the statement I made when the matter was brought co my. notice on a previous occasion, and say that the New Zealand Government has had no intimation at ail of any conference of this sort,” said the Prime Alinister when the cable message from Australia was referred to him. “We have received no invitation to any such conference, nor have we any knowledge of a meeting in London of the character suggested in the cable news from Australia. “The authorities in London know the views of the New' Zealand Government on the likely effects on New Zealand trade of a trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the United States of America,” added Mr., Savage. “When the Alinister of Marketing, Hon. W. Nash, and myself were in London last year the question of trade was discussed with the Imperial authorities from every point of view, and the British Government is fully acquainted with our ideas on the subject.” Air. Nash also visited Canada and America to discuss trade questions with the peoplehu those countries on questions with tlie people in those countries on his way back to the Dominion from Great Britain.”