AMERICAN VISIT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 45, 21 January 1939, Page 10

AMERICAN VISIT

MR S. M. BRUCE’S AIMS. RUMOURS REFUTED. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Jan. 20. There was no truth 'in reports that he had visited Washington to discuss concrete proposals for a conference to negotiate an American-Austral ian trade pact, said Mr S. M. Bruce (High Commissioner for Australia in London) in an interview.

“I broke my homeward journey for three days at Washington simply to get ‘atmosphere’ and endeavour to ascertain what the possibilities were so that I could report to my Government,” Mr Bruce continued. “1 kept saying this while I was in the United States of America. Discussions did not include matters of detail. 1 had a long talk with President Roosevelt, but the Secretary of State (Mr Cordell Hull) was away at the Pan-Ameri-can Conference in Lima. However, 1 saw Mr Summer Welles, who was acting for him, and the Secretary for Agriculture (Mr H. A. Wallace), who represents America’s very important farming interests. CORDIAL FEELING. “Public opinion and opinion in administrative circles are most cordial toward Australia and the British Empire. There is an increasing appreciation that the United States cannot dissociate itself from world events, and this feeling has been more marked since the President’s recent speeches and the rearmament programme which lie has recommended to Congress. The American public is realising more and more that the country cannot stand outside the course of world affairs.” He had been surprised, Mr Bruce added, at the complete misunderstanding which existed in the United States in December regarding the European crisis and the Munich agreement. This was noticeable even in circles where it would not normally be expected. By informal private, talks with individuals he had done his best to set out and explain the facts and to remove current misapprehensions. Mr Bruce laughed when he was told that reports were being circulated in Australia to the effect that he was on his way back to take over the leadership of the Commonwealth Government from Mr Lyons. “If that is so, what is going to happen to Mr Lyons?” he asked. “I don’t suppose that they have anything to say on that point.” CONFERENCE AT CANBERRA.

His present trip, Mr Bruce said, was the first visit he had paid to Australia for four and a-half years, and it had been delayed by successive European crises. His appointment as High Commissioner had been renewed for a further five years from October last. He was returning to confer with the Federal Cabinet and members oi Parliament, and he also intended to visit the six capitals in order to meet State Ministers, members of State Assemblies, Chambers of Commerce, labour organisations, and all other bodies which had matters to discuss with him. These meetings would be private, and party politics would not enter into them, as his office was nonpolitical. Asked whether it would be necessary to discuss matters relating to the Commonwealth's overseas debt, Mr Bruce said that since the completion of a £200,000,000 loan conversion, which had saved about £2,(iC0,000 sterling a year, only one small loan of £2,500,000 had matured recently, and there wore no transactions of any magnitude for some time to come. " VIEWS ON LEAGUE.

The opinion that, from the economic standpoint, there was a great hope that the League of Nations might accomplish something useful, hut that politically it was impossible to look to the League for a solution of world problems, was expressed by Mr Bruce. “I would have come to Australia sootier hut for the Czechoslovakian crisis,” said Air Bruce, “and how long 1 will remain in Australia depends on my visits to all States to see everybody possible, irrespective of jxilitics, including Labour organisations and Chambers of Commerce.”