EMPIRE TRADE

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 March 1926, Page 5

EMPIRE TRADE

UNEXPECTED SUPPORT. 'Australian and N.Z. Cable Association ) LONDON, March 3. Some surprise was caused in the House of Commons when the Glasgow Labourite, Mr. J. Maxton, advocated that the proposed increase in the amount of trade credits should be devoted to the development of the Empire, within which he said, lay the best chance of a revival of British trade. They should, he said, let the money available be sent to India, East Africa and to the Dominions. They .were citizens of the Empire and they would have more to spend on British goods for the benefit of British workmen. Mr. Maxton announced that he would move an amendment on these lines when the bill is in committee.

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE LONDON, March 2. In the House of Lords, the possibility of a Dominion representative being included in the House of Lords when the latter is reformed, and thus making it an Imperial House was raised by Lord Strathspey. He suggested that the Imperial Conference would prove an opportunity to ascertain the opinions of the Dominion Premiers on the proposal. Lord Strathspey asked if any serious thought and consideration were being given to the Imperial Conference. Lord Salisbury, in replying, gave an assurance that the occasion would be treated with all the seriousness that it demanded. . The Government anticipated that the discussions and conclusions would yield the greatest benefit to Britain and the Empire.

FOREIGN POLICY. LONDON, March 2. Professor Morgan, in his second lecture of a series, pointed out that the Dominion’s demand for the right to participate in the direction of the foreign policy began in relation to the right to make commercial treaties. By 1878 they had attained this right, always by joint negotiation and signatures with the Imperial Government. This continued until three years ago, when Canada negotiated the Halibut Treaty with the United States. The subject of the latter was unimportant, but the fact remained that the British Ambassador for the first time was excluded from the negotiations by the Dominion which alone signed and ratified the treaty with a foreign power. Professor Morgan emphasised the distinction between Dominion representation at Versailles as a single diplomatic unit, and their separate representation on the League of Nations. He hoped eventually that they would again become a single diplomatic unit at Geneva.