TRADE RELATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 30, 4 August 1931, Page 4

TRADE RELATIONS

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Prominence has been given in your columns to Russian trade, and the letter from the agent for Russian products in yesterday's "Post" requires some correction. Why should the agent contradict Mr. J. Myers's statement that Bolshevik Russia is bent on destroying the present status of the British Empire, when this same objective has been stated from Russian official sources time and again? Have we seen any evidence of Russia's tender solicitude for the welfare of the Empire? If the latest ■ information regarding New Zealand butter boxes being copied is true, it is a fair sample of the' mercy New Zealand can expect.

Russia can afford to undersell the world when one considers the figures you published recently showing their repudiation to date or £925,000,000 external debt and £850,000,000 Treasury bills, a total of £1,775,000,000 on which she has paid no interest since 1917 (fourteen years ago); If New Zealand repudiated her Government and local body debts, and the farmer repudiated his mortgages, we could no doubt compete with Russia, but who would trade with us? "'lt is not competition with our local manufacturers that is as serious as that with our primary products in England (aided by the above repudiated debt). I feel that Russia's shipments of primary products ; have barely commenced, and when she is really producing to capacity we will ridicule the present slump compared with the effects we will then.feel. The agent compares our feelings regarding German goods at the end of the war to our attitude at the moment against Russia, but Germany has always endeavoured to pay her,*debts;* whereas Russia has not. There is therefore actually no similarity whatever. The sympathy we eventually extended to Germany will also be handed to Russia when she evinces some tangible evidence of honouring her obligations. The reference to Canadian-New Zealand

conditions, mentioned by. the agent for Russian goodt;, also calls for correction. He is totally wrong iv stating that Canada treats New Zeuland on a par with Russia. Bad an our "bludgeoning" of Canada bas been, Mr. Forbes would have to go a lot further before our gallant sister Dominion insulted us by classing us-with Bolshevik Russia. The agent admits the total prohibition of certain Russian goods into Canada. Can he give similar instances of the total prohibition of New Zealand goods? New Zealand butter still enjoys British preferential rates,- and ' there is no necessity for Mr. Forbes to--"crawl"' to Canada to secure the same special treatment as Australia. As you mentioned in "The Post" last week, a little "lubricant" would greatly assibt this most desirable objective, and secure v. Uiare of Canada's winter requirements of butter. As to the Canadian Government not haying 'the courtesy to wait for our Prune Minister's arrival in Canada to discuss tho matter," did our Prime Minister have the same courtesy to wait a few weeks until he arrived in Canada before placing Canadian motor vehicles and tires on the foreign tariff? Did he bother to return through Canada from England even as a token of goodwill? Is not the welfare of nearly 1% million men, women, and children in Now Zealand (to say nothing of those affected in Canada) sufficient ■ justification for sinking: a little personal pride in a final endeavour to promote that feeling< of friendliness and co-operation so essential to the future well-being of the British Empire? If Canad.i proved willing to negotiate reciprocity with Australia, is it conceivable that she would not also be prepared. to .do so -with New Zealand, a country doing a larger trade with her than Australia? The present impasse points to the fault being on the sidj. of our diplomacy (?) not Canada's. Trusting these facts will clarify the position somewhat—l.am, etc.,' TRADE-WITHIN THE EMPIRE. 4th August.