Anglo-U.S. Trade Co-operation Urged

Northern Advocate, 10 August 1938, Page 5

Anglo-U.S. Trade Co-operation Urged

(Received 8.30 a.m.) TORONTO, August 8. The Australian Minister of Commerce, Sir Earle Page, departed for New York and Washington after addressing the Canadian Club at Toronto in favour of the trade treaty between •Britain and America, and conferring With the Minister of Trade and Commerce, Mr, W. D, Euler, regarding a revised treaty between Canada and "Australia. Although neither Sir Earle nor the Canadian government would comment it is believed that his talks with the Prime Minister, Mr. MacKenzie King, and the Minister of Customs and Trade, have laid the basis for a revision of commercial relations between the two dominions after the conclusion,‘of the Anglo-American negotiations. I

In addressing an audience of Toronto business men, Sir Earle stressed the importance of closer relationship, not only between the United States and Britain, but also between America and the entire British Empire. He praised the 1932 Ottawa agreements as an extension of comparative free trade throughout the Empire. “That co-operation should be extended to cover bargaining with the United States,” Sir Earle added, “a trade treaty between Britain and America would be very good, but one between the United States and the whole Empire would be a great step towards world peace. Such a treaty, if: wide in scope and liberal in terms, must have repercussions on the whole of the world trade.”

In order to achieve the best results, he thought negotiations should be conducted simultaneously between the United States, Britain and the Dominions. Only the combined strength of common action by all English-speak-ing nations could rescue the world from the welter of disorganisation in which it found itself.

. “If it were possible for the Empire and the United States to pursue a planned co-operative policy, to start the wheels of trade again by a resumption of internation lending and the removal of commercial impediments, we might look forward to a better world,” he concluded.