DOMINION’S PRESTIGE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 204, 29 July 1939, Page 14

DOMINION’S PRESTIGE.

FALL AT HOME. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 27. New Zealand had certainly fallen in the estimation of the English people because of her financial policy, said Mr J. G. Buckleton, of Wellington, who returned to-day from London. Ho said city men were watching the Dominion's legislative experiments with interest. They were sympathetic with the ideals of her Government, but considered it was going too fast. There had been talk of New Zealand having to default in the payment of her debt, but it had not been seriously believed that she would do so.

The opinion was that Mr Nash would get his money all right if lie liked to pay the price. There had also been a “bit of a squeal” at Home about New Zealand’s import restrictions, but the attitude generally taken was one of sorrow rather than oi hostility to New Zealand.

Business in London was very “scarey.” Every time a Customs guard was shot on the Polish frontier the stock market would flop. However, in Mr Buckleton private opinion, war was unlikely. If it came, England was definitely ready for it, August and September especially wore being watched. He had observed tremendous activity in aircraft production. England was spending £2,000,000 a week upon aeroplanes alone. In addition she possessed the strongest navy in the world. If sho was pushed too far and war came there was no doubt somebody was going to get a hiding, but it would hurt us in the meantime.