EMPIRE TRADE POLICY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 32, 7 February 1930, Page 9

EMPIRE TRADE POLICY

BALDWIN DECLARATION

INTERESTING COMMENT

LONDON, 6th February

The Committee of the Empire Free Trade Crusade at a special meeting unanimously resolved with regret that it could not regard Mr. Baldwin's declaration of policy as affording an adequate solution to the present industrial and agricultural problems. It is convinced that new markets are essential. The British Government should have complete fiscal freedom to negotiate with the Dominions and India, including the power to impose the necessary duties on raw material and foodstuffs, not produced in the Empire.

Practically only two leading journals seize upon the new idea embodied in Mr. Baldwin's speech. The rest adopt the traditional protection versus free trad^attitude. The "Daily News" regards Mr. Baldwin's inter-Imperial arrangements under which the markets of Empire apparently would be divided upon mutually agreed terms between the industrialists here and the Dominions, both being equally protected against foreign competition by safeguarding, as the most subtle and probably the most practicable form in which Imperial protection has been advocated yet. The paper is of opinion that the voice is Mr. Baldwin's, but the brain probably Lord If elchett 's.

Both the "Daily News" and the "Daily Telegraph" say that amplification and explanation arc needed before a decided opinion is able to be expressed upon this plan, but the latter adds that as far as'practicable it is manifestly desirable. It is obviously the outcome of the rationalisation movement, and an, ingenious attempt to combine with Imperial co-operation and Imperial preference interlocking arrangements for the production and sale of Imperial goods. This feature of the Unionist programme must depend primarily upon the favour shown thereto by leading industrialists here and in the Dominions.