MR. NASH'S MISSION

Grey River Argus, 24 April 1937, Page 6

MR. NASH'S MISSION

Reply to Mr. Doidge BY HON. P. FRASER. Replying to the remarks of Mr. F. W. Doidge supporting the London “Evening Standard,”’ in its attack on New Zealand finance, the aeting-Prime -Minister (Mr. P. Fra-er) said: “Mr. Doidge has seen fit t 0 declare Mr. Nash’s mission a failure, and having constituted himself a distant echo of the Beaverbiook pres s lie no doubt expects aid New Zealand: to’ respond with an tipproving and conclusive, ‘and that’s, that.’ So it might if the major, ity o f the people of the Dominion were not convinced that Mr Doidge -is wasting Jiis lime in imagining vain things and utteiurg vainer.” Mr. Fraser proceeded to criticise Mr. Doidge and his connection with the Evening Standard, stating: “The Evening Standard may have an extremely large circulation, but it is very doubt, ful if it has much influence’, particular, ly in financial circles. There are news, papers in Britain such as the Manchester Guardian and the London Times, whose opinions are regarded with d- 1 - setved respect, but (lie Evening Standard is definitely not of that calibre.” Mr. Fraser quoted Mr. Stanley Baldwin’s criticism of the propaganda poliiees of the Rotherniere and Beaver, brook newspapers in 1931, and stated that it wa- during this period that Mr. Doidge was associated with the control of the Evening’ Standard, which had attacked the credit of New Zealand. It was fortunate for this Dominion, he said, that. Mr. Nash was in London, and was able, tn refute In so convincing a fashion such ill-founded and dam. aging criticism'. In inference to Mr. Doidge’s comments on Mr. Nakh’s mission to Lon. don, Mr. Fiaser contended that Mr. Nash’s views had been misrepresented. Mr. Doidge asserted that Mr. Nash before his departure for Home had said: “I am going Home to tell the people of Britain that we want them to take more from us, but they must be prepared for us to take less from them.” Then Mr. Doidge went on to ask: “How could Mr. Nash hope to succeed when Britain already takes from us 93 per cent, of all we export, while we take from Britain only 50 per cent, of what we import?” “In the first place,” Mr. Fraser said, “I would like to point out that Britain/ takes 80, not 93, per cent, of our exports.” The following figures show the trade position for the year ended December, 1936, in pounds, New’ Zealand currency:—

GREAT BRITAIN. Exports. £43 366 000 (80.16 per cent). Imports. £22.080,000 (49.51 per cent.) OTHER EMPIRE COUNTRIES. Exports. £3.597,000 (6.12 per cent.) 4 Imports. £10.589,000 (23.44 per cent). FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Exports. £7,716,000 (13.72 per cent.) Imports. £11,464,444 (27.45 per cent.) Totals: Exports, £56,679,000; 'imports, £44,133,000. Mr. Fraser adds; “It. should be not. ed that the excess of exports over imports in the case of Great Britain is, i:t round figures £23,400,000. This does not take into account on the import, side invisible items H ueh as freight on goods earr eidtoeht on goods carried to the United Kingdom. a stun which amounts probably to £7,000,000. nor interest payments on the public debt, which aie in ex-

ciss of £10,000,000, nor interest o n P'-'i-vate debts. On the export side it would be necessary to deduct the value of goods .shippea t 0 Britain for re-ship-nfent to Europe in order t 0 present a true picture of the trade balance.” Mt. Fraser also state“We have not. upset the Bliit.sh importers by I our market scheme, nor has there been any dumping of New Zealand produce on the British inarkeT.” The Minister concludes; “The offer which the Labour Government is making t 0 Britain is perfectly clear, be. cause, as Britain buys mote New Zealand produce, so will New Zealand utilise the proceeds to extend its British purchases”. “I desire to thank Mr. Doidge most sincerely for his kind corroboiation of my statements regarding Mr. Baldwin’s opinion of the ‘Evening Standard’ and the allied papers which endeavour.- to exercise ‘power without responsibility —the preiogative of the harlot througn. out the ages.’” said Mr. Fraser. “Ilis asseition that Mr. Baldwin ha s long regretted telling the truth about the Beaverhrook-’Rot’hermiere Pire s sotunds as eiedible as one of the amazing and entertaining yarns of that delightful favourite of th? children, ‘Popeye the Sailor Man.’ I would like M>r. Doidge to produce evidence of this expression of regret.

I “I do not. propose to devote any effort to defending Mr. Baldwin from Mr. Doidge’s insinuation that, in effect lit wa s mere political and party spleen [that induced hTm to launch his tin. .answerable and overwhelming denunciation of the ‘Evening Standaid’ and those associated with it. Even political -opponents admit Mr Baldwin’s honesty and fairness. “Mr. Doidge’s claim that the Beaverbrook Empire Free Trade stunt (car. lied on at the same time as the 1 Beaver, brook ‘Evening Standard’ and ‘Daily Express’ were urging American manufacturers to swamp Britain with American good ■) was successful in Great Britain is about as accurate as would be a statement to the effect that he, himself, was successful in Rotorua at the General Election or in Manukau at the by-election.

“Mr. Doidge’s claim that the ‘Even, ing Standard’ was one of the' ‘pre.emi. nent publications in London in political and financial circles’ in laughable. The only feature the ‘Evening Standard’ is notable for are the cartoons >f that eminent New Zealander, David Low, and his eartoons are usually diteetly opposed to the editorial policy of the paper. Incidentally, it is greatly to Mr. Doidge’s credit as a journal, ist that he secured David Low for the paper.

i “The ‘Evening Standard’ is pretty low in the estimation of the people of Great Britain now, but without Low it

would be lower still. For that reason, coupled with the fact that New Zealand’s 1 able Min'.ilter of Finance (Mr W. Nash) was on the spot to give it the He direct, its efforts to unsciupulously attack the credit of New Zealand, although obviously actuated by the- worst intentions, fortunately have been particularly futile. The Press of the Dominion as a whole has repud’, ated the ‘Evening Standard’.-’ mischievous and untruthful effort at injuring the country’s financial standing. Was that attack inspired from New Zealand? Does Mr. Doidge know any. tiling about it? “Mr D'oidge'.s further reference to Mr. Nash deserves the attention I propose to give it —•that is. none whatever, One thing Is certain; Mr. Nash cariies with him the confidence of the Government and fli? country, and he will come back to a cordial welcome from the people of New Zealand, par. ticularly from his own electorate .of Hutt, while Mr. Doidge will still probably be running around looking for a constituency to adopt, him, something like the hero of Captain Mairryatt’s novel ‘Japhet in Search of a Father.’ ’’

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