END OF LEND-LEASE

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 57, 5 September 1945, Page 9

END OF LEND-LEASE

TRADE COMMITMENTS

STATEMENT REQUESTED

Indications were that the „ settlements resulting from the end of lemllease were to be trading arrangements under which America would apparently demand that all countries which had participated in lend-lease should lower the barriers against her trade, said Mr. W. A. Sheat (National, Patea) in the House of Representatives last evening. President Truman had suggested that commitments in that direction had already been entered into, he added, and he would like from the Government a statement whether it had entered into any commitments with the United States Government to lower the barriers against United States trade with New Zealand. An Opposition member: You will never get that. It's hush-hush. Mr. Sheat said that.if the barriers were lowered against United States trade, did the Government intend to open the door in a similar fashion to goods from the United Kingdom? Present indications were that the Government intended to maintain the present barriers, particularly import control, which was, said to have been .introduced as a y temporary measure. He believed the Dominion had a duty to do everything possible to assist Britain to recover .her trading position. The Government had shown that it was prepared to extend every, facility for the setting-up of the tyre industry but he predicted that when that quesion was settled there would be a barrier against imports of those commodities from Britain.