LOPSIDED TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 41, 16 August 1930, Page 12

LOPSIDED TRADE

BRITAIN'S POSITION

AN EMPIRE STOCKTAKING

"Evening Post," 16th August.

A little.over three years ago a peculiar map of Europe .was exhibited to the public :at the Bank of England, of all places. It fhewed the frontiers of every country, including the British Isles; but instead of the conventional thick black or dotted lines;of the geographer's boundaries there were- walls round the countries. Every Continental country was immured, but the walls varied in heights This map, seen by hundreds of thousands of nien-in-the-street, and very closely inspected by bankers, manufacturers, merchants, ' and journeymen tradesmen, was designed by Major Sir Clive Morrison-Bell, M.P. He was but one among many in England who viewed with alarm the rising of Customs tariffs by every country in the world, even British -dominions, against the importation of British manufacture in exchange for goods of foreign and Dominion production and the necessarily lop-sided effect it had on the balance against • British trade. True, some of the Dominions accorded a comparatively generous preference to Great Britain as against the foreigner in their tariffs, but the fact remained that,' excepting a 'few fiscal exceptions (such as tobaccos, perfumes, wines, and spirits), Britain admitted almost everything free of duty from all countries, while almost everything she exported to them had to submit to impositions of heavy duties, more particularly in. foreign countries. The MorrisonBell map walls were accurately based on statistics, and its originator obtained much, first-hand knowledge from, personal visits to the United States and the Continent. The heights of the walls were strictly to scale. AT No. 10, DOWNING STREET. The map was exhibited at. the Stock Exchange and in Paris. At No. 10, Downing street, it made a deep impression on the people it was most important should be impressed. It was studied by mem-bei-Sfof-the Cabinet at that time, including Lord Birkenhead, Mr. Winston Churchill, Lord Salisbury, and Mr. Amery, who all gave it approving inspection. The late Mr. Walter Leaf pronounced it "a very telling lesson to all who are interested in commerce." When it was exhibited, in Paris at the annual meeting of the .International Chamber of Commerce, the Spanish delegate exclaimed: "Your walls, they give me a shock." The Spanish walls were higher than auy. But the United States tariff was not then law. It has but aggravated the position bo far as Great Britain is directs ]y concerned, and it practically excludes many imports from the British Dominions. One answer to ' that .tariff ■was a protest from some thirty other nations (not including Great Britain) and the recent London bankers' manifesto not confined to banker signatories. A PRACTICAL STATEMENT. 3\lr. ti. St. Clare Grondona has now published a remarkable work on the subject of foreign trade balances against the United Kingdom. Its title is "Empire Stocktaking," the publishers are Simpkiu Marshal], Ltd.,"London. A copy has been received by "The Post" from the publishers. Working on annual averages of 1924-28, lie will have to revise his work in view of'the United States tariff of 1930. But the position was'bad enough before that, as will, presently be shown. In this work United Kingdom means England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Gfreat Britain means England. Scotland /and Wales. The book is liberally furnished with tables and diagrams, the latter in colours enabling the reader to, see and realise facts at a glance. They cannot'be reproduced here. The book is a valuable but unintentional supplement to the tariff-wall map above mentioned. It does not profess to be more than a statement of facts. It has no political object and is unsubsidised, the author states, by any political organisation or individual. It is hoped to publish it yearly. Reference is made in a postscript to the new Australian tariff. SOME TELLING FACTS. The author's intention appears to be not a circulation of the'high tariff walls of other countries or to expect them to fall at a shout, but to draw attention to the Empire's own resources and its great potentialities. His diagrams show that of the total imports of the overseas Empire, valued at £981,000,000, just over 37 per cent, are from the United Kingdom, 13 per cent, from other British countries, and approximately SO per.cent, from foreign or non-British- countries. Of the exports of the overseas Empire, valued at £1,038,000,000, about 36 per cent, are sent to the United Kingdom, 10 per cent, to other British countries, and 54 per cent. to foreign countries. ' There are striking differences in the trade balances of the United Kingdom with -foreign countries which are graphically displayed, but some of them may be set out as.under: — ' , Foreign .Countries. Country.. : .' Imports by U.K. Exports by U.K. iS & ' {'000 omitted) ('OOO omitted). United States 206,852 . 49,455 Argentine .. ......,» 70,408 . 27,525 Denmark ....... 49,400 10,605 France ......... 57,913 28,383 Belgium ........ ' 40,662 17,815 Germany,. ....,.* 54,38:-! .'{9,198 Netherlands .... 44,339 22,197 Italy ........... 16,110 14,969 Norway ...;.... 11,98? 7,827 Sweden .'........ 22,213 10,573 Spain . .• 17,814 -, 9,598 Czeebo-Slovakia. .. 10,150 ■ 1,653 Russia' ........ 17,947 ■ ; .4,637 .lapan ......i... 17,30fl 6,906 'Brazil 3,902 14,560 Egypt ..V.1....... 25,542 ' 13,264 Brazil's position will' be- noted as the only country in the group whose trade balance is favourable to the United Kingdom. British Dominions. Country. -.' . Imports by U.K. Exports by U.K. £ £ ('OOO omitted) ('OOO omitted) India ........... 55,441 85,465 Australia 44,862 59,819 New Zealand ..... 40,457 20,577 South Africa .... .10,899 30,931 Irish Tree State .. 43,810 38,710 Canada 59,572 29,127 The per capita purchase of imports from the United Kingdom, 1929, was highest in New Zealand with £14 lls lid per head,- second in Irish Free State, £12 .is 3d; third, Australia, £S 10s 2d; fourth in South Africa, £4 3s 3d; fifth, British Malaya, at £ 3 19s 2d, and sixth Canada, £3 12s 6d. India was lowest in the British Empire at 4s' lid. In foreign countries the highest per capita wn,s Norway, £3 10s 7d; Denmark was second, £3 0s Sd; third Netherlands, £2 16s 3d; fourth Argentine, £2 12s lOd; twelfth ou the list was the United States, 7s Cd, and last the; Soviet Union, fid. ■The' diagrams to "Empire Stocktaking" were drawn by Mrs. St. Clare Grondona, ■to whom the book is dedicated.