MR. FORBES'S DENIAL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 106, 31 October 1931, Page 13

MR. FORBES'S DENIAL

A complete denial that he had proposed tlu; calling of an Imperial Conference at an early date, as reported in a cable message from London, was given by the Prime Minister, the liight. Hon. G. W. Forbes, when questioned upon, the point.

Mr. Forbes said his opinion was that any reference to an Imperial Conference at such an early date was decidedly •premature. In any event ho would not be the one to bring up the question, for any proposal should first come from Downing Street.

It was originally proposed that this year's Imperial Conference should "be followed by an Imperial Economic Conference at Ottawa, but this had been postponed indefinitely, and the matter rested there at the moment. ,

It was freely acknowledged by the Dominions, ho said, that the progress made at the Imperial Conference in the direction of bringing about closer cooperation as far as Empire trade was concerned, had not been as great as some expected, but the 'question hinged largely upon the tariff issue. It had yet to be decided by the National Government in Great Britain what attitude it was to adopt regarding tariffs, and until a policy had been decided upon, it was useless speaking of holding an Imperial Conference.

llr. Forbes said that he was at a loss to understand liow it could have been reported in London that he advocated the early gathering of the Dominions' representatives. In any event New Zealand was on the eve of a General Election, and for that reason the future would not be arranged at once. No action could be taken by this Dominion, certainly until some definite indication was given by .Britain where she stood in regard to Empire trade, and then, no doubt, the Imperial Government would take tlin initiative, it' any conference were deemed advisable.