NOT ACCEPTABLE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20618, 20 November 1941, Page 5

NOT ACCEPTABLE

AMERICAN VIEW RESTRICTING INDUSTRY OPINION IN AUSTRALIA (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Pre3S Assn.) (Reed. Nov. 20, 9 a.m.) CANBERRA, Nov. 19The Commonwealth Government has informed the United States that it cannot accept proposals which would limit the future development of Australian industries. The United States proposals in trade discussions were, firstly, that there should be no extension of the existing Australian industries producing goods of the kind which America is supplying to Australia; and, secondly, that there should be no establishment of new industries to produce this kind of goods. The American viewpoint was that it would be unreasonable to expect America to build new plants and expand existing industries to supply Australia’s urgent war needs and be shut out of the Australian market as soon as the war is over. In declining to agree to the proposals, the Australian Government intimated that it felt Parliament should not be fettered for years ahead on matters of fiscal policy. The Government further contended that far-reaching trade agreements might prolong the war, because it would be equivalent to telling the people of occupied Europe that no matter how the war ended they would be shut out of the British and American economic sphere after the war.