COMMERCIAL RECONSTRUCTION

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 26 September 1918, Page 4

COMMERCIAL RECONSTRUCTION

As the prospects of' complete victory and peace grow steadily brighter the problems of reconstruction present their difficulties. The end o£ the war will find, the world in a state bordering upon exhaustion, and though we believe that Germany and her allies will be in the more serious position, there is every indication that the rest of the world will not find the commercial path free of difficulty. The task ofy demobilisation, not only of the armies but of the huge concerns that have been feverishly supplying military wants, will present -enormous difficulties, and the best statesmen of the Allied countries will be needed to deal with the many,complex questions thai must arise.- The British Empire has spared no pains to hasten, the day of final victory, and, without thought for its future commercial position, it haa given its men, raw material, factories, ships, and railways to the cause of justice and freedom. The progressive development of its war winning machine has called for foresight and much careful attention to the many activities, and it has taken months of close application by the leaders to bring the machine to its present state of efficiency. This is, of course, true of the other great nations who are fighting side by side with Britain, but the enormous: extent of the British Empire and its scattered nature will bring problems after the war has been won which will be unknown to France, Italy and America. That the huge commercial undertakings upon which the Empire owes its great power should be brought into full operation as soon as possible is most necesSary; yet the sudden stoppage of the great war machine and all connected with it will tend to increase the inevitable delay that must take place before the nation can (return to its peace-time tasks. The call is for efficient commercial men with constructive and organising ability,, and one feels that something more should be done towards training such men among thoge who have not been able to take their part as soldiers or munition workers. The progress of the Empire will be largely measured by its production and power to export its products. In Great Britain the main task will fall upon the manufacturer, whose .success will be dependent to a large extent upon the quantities of raw materials available. Many of those raw materials are to be obtained in the British Dominions, and clearly their duty will be to produce as much as possible. Pood, will also be required in enormous quantities for the shortage will not automatically' end with the coming of peaoe. The Dominions, therefore, have it largely in their power to help in the gjigantio task of commercial 'reconstruction, and the carrying out of their duty will be no less important because the military enemy has been beaten. Germany as a commercial rival has in the past shown herself capable in organisation and in order to make up for her serious position she is bound to strive hard to regain her place in the world of commerce. Yet, as the war has proved, Germany holds no monopoly in the art of? organisation, and if Britain attacks the problems with the foresight that has markeH her war work she should be able to outdistance her rival. The Dominions should also look ahead and work out policies for the .return of i their thousands of soldiers and for in- | tensifying production of >food and rawmaterials. The inadequacy of shipping is discouraging, but the great building programmes in the British shipyards and the release of many of the merchantmen at present assisting j the Navy should improve the position | after the war ihas ended