HOPES IN CONFERENCES

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 25 May 1932, Page 5

HOPES IN CONFERENCES

GENEVA, LAUSANNE, OTTAWA RESTORATION OF CONFIDENCE. LONDON PRESS OPINION. (United Frees Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) LONDON, May 24. Disctusing the conferences on disarmament at Geneva, reparations at Lausanne and Empire economics at Ottawa, “The Times” says: “To abandon hope tof agreement at Geneva would be to abandon hope of reversing the present drift to economic stagnaLion. Oonfid.eii.ce will not be restored until existing political tension is relieved by an agreement regulating armaments. “A substantial step towards disarmament is a necessary condition for the settlement of the inter-governmental debts which are paralysing trade, it the Geneva and Lausanne conferences fail the world will have to go through further and sharper tribulations before it establishes new equilibrium. In that event Ottawa must secure tor the quarter of the world under the British flag the means to maintain and even increase production ana trade. , “Ottawa has the advantage over Lausanne in that the governments participating are accustomed to work together. After Ottawa the Empire Governments must be able to claim m the words of Pitt that the Butish Empire has saved itself by its exertions and by its example will save the world.” MR. BALDWIN TO ATTEND. During the debate in the House of Commons on the meat and wheat tariff amendment Mr. A. Bevan (Labour) said there were rumours that Mr. Stanley Baldwin (Lord . President of the Council) was not going to (Ottawa because he feared it would prove a white elephant. Having been associated with one white elephant across the Atlantic he did not desire to be associated with another. How could Argentina pay interest on British capital if they were going to deny her products entry into the world s greatest market? . There is no foundation for the suggestion that Mr. Baldwin will not go to Ottawa, says the Daily Telegraph ” Mr. MacDonald will be back m London before Mr. Baldwin is due to leave as head of the British delegation to Ottawa. BRITISH MINISTERS DOUBTS AiS TO NUMBER Received 11.50 a.m. today. RUGBY, May 24. The Acting-Prime Minister, Mr Stanley Baldwin, stated in the House of Commons to-day that the British delegation to the Ottawa Conference would include the Minister of Agriculture, Sir John Gilmour. Until it was possible to estimate the length of the present Parliamentary session and the Lausanne Conference it was impossible to say whether two or three of the Ministers given ill the earlier list would be available. Mr J. H. Thomas, Secretary for the Dominions, assured a member that the question of migration as an essential element of the Imperial economic cooperation would not be overlooked by the United Kingdom delegation at the Ottawa Conference. Mr Thomas stated that he had received the agenda of the conference from the Canadian Government.