Nelson Evening Mail FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1922 THE ABSENTEE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 7 April 1922, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1922 THE ABSENTEE

THE Brussels Financial Conference voiced what has been described as an ideal yet essential end when it re-

solved that “commerce should, as soon as possible, ho freed from control, ami impediments to international trade removed.” This is one of the questions which will come before the Genoa Conference, the latest of the long series of international conferences which have been held since the W ar. It will bo remembered that the third of President Wilson’s Fourteen Points was ; “The removal, as far as possible, of all economic harriers and the establishment of an equality of track' conditions amongst all the nations consenting to the peace and associating themselves for its maintenance. And Mr Wilson said in his annual message' to Congress in .1911): “Anything which would tend to prevent foreign countries from settling for our exports by shipments of goods into this country could only have' the effect of prevent-* ing the exports from being made. The productivity of the country, greatly stimulated by the Mar, must find on outlet by exports to foreign countries and any measures taken to prevent imports will inevitably curtail exports, force curtailment of production, load the banking machinery of the country with credits to carry unsold products, and produce imliistnal stagnation and unemployment, it we want to sell, we. must bo prepared to buy.” | For some of its raw products the United States is largely or wholly dependent on foreign sources of supply that is, in rubber, wool, jute, sugar, colfee, tea, nitrate, and other lines. It is dependent on foreign mar. K-eis ior the sale of American products like cotton, wheat ami other farm products, copper, iron and steel, and leather. Hence it will ho seen that it might To to America’s advantage to be°represented at Genoa. Then the Peace Conference sot up machinery to enable tin' different nations to discuss problems of co-operation in regard to national war debts. Putting quite aside all the political aspects of the League of Nations, Mr Thomas W.

Lament, a leading American financier, considers that it lias been unfortunate for its manufacturing ami export interests licit I lie ITiitcd .Stales has been unable to join in the different conforenees held in Europe and so ascertain, by a meeting of minds, what mutually helpful methods of co-opera-fion could he adopted. It is obvious that the business situation in America is dependent for its revival to a considerable extent upon better conditions in Europe, and Air Lament believes that the Harding Administration must make up its mind, in America’s own interests, to bring about sonu' form of understanding as to tho conditions of foreign trade. New Zealand, like every other country, is deeply interested in this question of international trade. We believe that Air Alassey and his colleagues are wise in maintaining a cautious altitude' so far as trade with countries like Germany and Russia is concerned, hut as time goes cm the position must lie reviewed, and every point in connection with it closely considered.