“LIVING SPACE": ITS REAL MEANING

Evening Star, Issue 23352, 23 August 1939, Page 16

“LIVING SPACE": ITS REAL MEANING

PROBLEM OF EMPLOYMENT NEED FOR PEACEFUL COLLABORATION ll : trade relations have an important effect upon social welfare within a •given national unit,-they are not less important as a factor in international relations. A report of the Economic Committee of the League of Nations, “ Observations on Present Prospects of Commercial Policy,” makes a suggestive comment on the claim being made by certain States to-day for their essential “ living space.” A country has adequate living apace, it declares, it it possesses full opportunity for the development of its economic life. The provision of full employment for their working population is under modern technological conditions a problem common to most countries. The creation of work by the State, while it may be helpful in overcoming the depths of depression, is only a temporary palliative, and if pursued without regard to the repercussions on the general economy, will give rise to further maladjustments. The stimulation of internal productive activity creates a need for additional imports while discouraging the exports necessary to pay for them. Hence the balance of trade becomes adverse and exchange difficulties tend to become more and more acute. This is particularly the case when the internal activities are concentrated on armaments and similar non-econoraic production. In these circumstances even the richest country will find itself confronted with a shortage of raw material supplies. This shortage may be relieved, but it is not likely to he remedied, by the manufacture of substitutes to replace natural commodities which are available at much cheaper prices. Nor can it be remedied by the maintenance of huge armaments and still less by actual aggression. The true remedy is to be found in restoring a better international exchange of products, rectifying the present maladjustment between industrial and agricultural production and restoring a world level of prices based on free exchanges. In a word, it is by means of peaceful economic collaboration that the maximum prosperity can be attained by the people of every country. and it is this economic collaboration which will provide each country with its “ living space ” —that is to say, full opportunities for the development of its economic life.

If this principle could be recognised as the basis of national policy for all countries, and confidence in the future solidly restored, it would enable the resources at present expended on unproductive armaments to be employed in improving the standard of living and a new era of prosperity would open which would raise the well-being of mankind to an unprecedented, level.