WORLD RECOVERY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11494, 23 November 1931, Page 5

WORLD RECOVERY

SMUTS ON BEST MEANS TO

ADOPT

CENTRAL EUROPE IN CRITICAL

STATE

NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

(U.P.A. by Elcc. Tel. Copyright.) (Received Nov. 21, 3.10 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 20. A gloomy view of the world situation is taken by General Smuts in a statement on his departure for South Africa. He says:—

“Much of Central Europe is in a critical state and a financial crisis is threatened in the near future, accompanied by undesirable political changes, if not a social upheaval on a large scale. Action is imperative and a world conference must bo convened without- delay to overhaul reparations. An international debts settlement which, - coupled with disarmament, would be the longest step towards world recovery.”

General Smuts believes -that the Statute of Westminster, a moderate tariff, and a successful Ottawa Conference with Imperial preference stimulating Empire trade development would assist in the solution of a whole host of British problems. India, he holds, is the most dangerous of Britain’s difficulties. He believes in the sincerity of Mr Gandhi and says Britain must go pretty far to satisfy India and the sooner the better. He expresses the opinion that the election result was the people’s expression of a sense of national danger.