OTTAWA CONFERENCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 69, 20 February 1931, Page 7

OTTAWA CONFERENCE.

DATE NOT FIXED. DIFFICULT POSITION. Received February 20, 12.25 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 19. The Sun-Herald political correspondent states: — 1 “What is happening about the Ottawa Conference ? It is practically four months since the Imperial Conference decided to continue the economic discussions at Ottawa, but little has been heard since then. The British Government Cabinet Committee, in consultation with the Government departments, was arranging a policy, but no decision about the date appears to have been reached. It was earlier suggested that the conference might be held in mid-summer, but that apparently is now out of the question, owing to the short thne for preparation. “There appears to be some difficulty in getting all the Dominions to agree. The uncertain political position here and in Australia, and the difficult internal situations in the other Dominions, seem to point to no great enthusiasm about Ottawa at the moment. “The Dominion delegates generally hoped that there might be a change of Government lrere between the Imperial and Ottawa conferences. Although the situation here is still most uncertain, an election appears to be further away than any time recently The Dominions feel that little progress can be achieved under the present ("Government, which would be prepared to discuss little more than the wheat quota, bulk purchase and import boards. The Dominions feel that real business would be only possible there with a Government willing to negotiate on the question of Imperial preferences ”