Behind the Headlines

Northern Advocate, 29 July 1939, Page 1 (Supplement)

Behind the Headlines

The claim has been made in Britain that Germany’s exports from January to June were valued at £234,500,000, and showed a favourable balance of £4,900,000. German foreign trade, which is State supervised or assisted, fs carried out under a “new plan" introduced in 1934 with the object of adjusting the amount of foreign exchange used for import purposes to the reduced amount earned by the export trade. In other , Words the aim was to carry out the Heidi’s dverseas trad-- on a balanced basis by employing the same restricted measures that are being attempted by the Now Zealand Government. Writing 'on this subject as president of the Reichsbank in his recent book “Germany Speaks, Dr. Schacht stated: “We realise ■ perfectly that measures such as these must complicate immensely cur trade relations with other countries, and it was with a heavy heart that we decided to introduce them all the same.

“The fact that wo have been hole to improve our balance of trade proves that the New Plan is working successfully,” Dr. Schacht continues. “With a view to the acquisition of a trade balance sufficient to meet the necessary capital and other liabilities, we have tried to increase our exports whilst maintaining imports at about their previous level.

“It is estimated that the export surplus thus obtained for 1937 amounts to some £40,000,000, The trade figures also indicate the difficulties our commercial policy has to face. Imports at the rate of approximately £35,000,000 a month are barely sufficient to cover our requirements of raw materials and foodstuffs. Owing to the continued activity of our domestic markets, the consumption of goods is steadily increasing. •

“There is presumably no country in which the demand for , foreign foodstuffs and raw materials is more pressing than it is in Germany . . . We do not want something for nothing. We are capable and willing to supply; the world with the superior grade products turned out by our industries. Accordingly, those in charge of Germany’s economic policy regard it as their principal task to cultivate close

GERMANY’S IMPROVED PLACE IN WORLD TRADE

trade relations with all countries and to improve and expand them wherever possible.” * * * SUBTERRANEAN CITY Occasional mention made of Tripoli on the Mediterranean, brings to mind the city of Gadames, where there has been no rain for 85 years. All the houses are made of mud and if- it rained they would be washed away. When the weather gets hot the entire population of 2000 people cools off’ in a subterranean city. Women never come out on the streets, and when they wish to visit other they pass through a mass of underground tunnels never seen by white man. * ♦ e AUTOGIRO DEVELOPMENT The cabled information that the aulogiro has been introduced into use for air mail service m Philadelphia, draws attention to a machine which has not figured so prominently in the news of aircraft development. With its advantages of taking off'and landing with little or no speed, and its ability to hover, the autogiro also bias the disadvantages of comparative slowness, small flying range, small weightcarrying ability and expensive operation. When the autogiro was successfully flown for the first time it was predicted that a great step forward had been made but' its development has not been as rapid as with the orthodox machines. » ¥■ QUEEN OF THE ATLANTIC • ;

Sailors have been in general agreement that there has never been a firmer steamship than the old Mauretania, which' for nearly 30 years was que«h of the Atlantic. Built by Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson, at Newcastle, in 1907, this ship, the pride, of the Cynard service, was loved for her trim lines, her speed, her seaworthiness and the ease with which she coyld be handled. The new Mauretania, which recently entered into service, > jof,;: compared with 30,696 of the ship whose name she has taken. Completed last year she was built by Cammell, Laird and Co., of Birkenhead, builders of the illfated submarine, Thetis. . ,