MR STANLEY BRUCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 21 January 1939, Page 5

MR STANLEY BRUCE

VISIT TO WASHINGTON

TO OBTAIN "ATMOSPHERE” NO CONCRETE TRADE PROPOSALS (United Press Associ&tioul AUCKLAND, 20th January. There was no truth in reports that he had visited Washington to discuss concrete proposals for a conference to negotiate an Ameri-can-Australian trade pact, said Mr 6. M. Bruce, High Commissioner for Australia in London, in an interview aboard the Mariposa.

"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. “I kept saying this while I was in the United States of America. Discussions did not include matters of detail. I had

a long talk with President Roosevelt, but the Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, was away at the Pan-American Conference in Lima. However, I saw Mr Sumner Welles, who was acting for him, and the Secretary for Agriculture, Mr H. A. Wallace, who represents America’s very important farming interests.

FEELING TOWARD EMPIRE "Public opinion and opinion in administrative circles was 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 he has recommended to Congress. The American public is realising more and more that the country cannot stand outside the course of world affairs.” He has 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 My 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,” RETURNING FOR CONFERENCE 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 lest He was returning to confer with the Federal Cabinet and members of 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 oJ a £200,000,000 loan conversion, which had saved about £2,000,000 sterling a year, only one small loan of £2.500.00 had matured recently, and there were no transactions of any magnitude for some time to come. WORK OF LEAGUE OF NATIONS In a brief reference to the League of Nations, Mr Bruce said that, though on the political side it could no longer b- looked to for the solution of world problems, itr economic work was of the greatest value, and would continue to grow in importance, specially as the United States was now giving aid. Mr Bruce, who is accompanied by Mrs Bruce, and his private secretary, Mr J. D. L. Hood, was guest at a Government luncheon, and continued his journey to Bydney to-night.