INTERNATIONAL STRIFE

Evening Star, Issue 22328, 2 May 1936, Page 15

INTERNATIONAL STRIFE

TARIFFS AND TRADE BARRIERS HiHDERANGES TO PEACE Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright WASHINGTON, April 30. Mr Cordell Hull, addressing the United Stales Chamber of Commerce, advocated the scaling down of tariffs and the elimination of trade harriers as war preventives “We have witnessed in the past few months a swift increase in international political tension, a recrudescence of the military spirit,

which sees no goal iu life except triumph by force, an expansion of standing armies, a sharp increase in military budgets, and actual warfare in some parts of the globe. Only as the world’s economic health is restored will individuals and nations develop again adequate resistance to the psychological madness that makes possible internal and externa] strife. Our trade agreements programme is a standing offer to all nations of the world to deal with each of them in commercial matters on the basis of equal treatment.”

TRADE AND PEACE SPEECH BY MR RUNCIMAN,

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, May 1. (Received May 2, at 1.30 p.m.)

Mr W. Runciman, President of the Board of Trade, in a speech at the annual dinner of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, said Britain had. one great advantage in regard to international trade. She was the greatest purchaser in the whole range of the world markets. That was her strength. Some people regarded the increase -in her imports as a danger, but. that was not his view. It was his firm belief that the rise in imports in the last two or three years had been an essential element in. the country’s recovery. Trade was no oneway street. He also emphasised that they must adapt themselves to new conditions and find a way of meeting new problems with energy. Proceeding, Mr Runciman* said; “ There is a word I would like to say on the subject of peace. Peace is not to be gained through a mere emotional appeal, still less by effusive threats. Stabilisation of peace depends upon the 1 idow and careful building up of the substructure of political conditions and healthy economic relations between nation and nation. The turn which economic issues take to-day in a large parb spells the destiny of to-morrow. War or peace in our time may hang upon the choice which the nations are now making of the economic policy which is to rule the world.” The American Ambassador had said that the policy of the United States was based upon the belief that no nation, not even their .own with its immense resources, could be wholly self-suffi-cient, and that mutual removal of barriers against international trade was thereby increasing. International communication was necessary for the wellbeing of the world, and contained within itself the greatest hope for the maintenance of peace. As a rule nations were impelled to war by international economic distress, if that were true, and he believed it was, the surest method of preventing war Jay in the restoration of normal international trade, bringing with it a promise to the peoples of the world of a better standard of living and the hope of a fuller life.