POST-WAR PLANS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 16 August 1944, Page 4

POST-WAR PLANS

AMERICA AND UNITED NATIONS COMIYIENtM BY NEW U.K. MINISTER Wellinftoti, This Day. The opinion that it would be advantageous if the New Zealand Press had a direct representative in the Ulniled States Was expressed by the newlyarrived Minister for the United States in New Zealahd, Mr Kenneth S. Patton, in Wellington, yesterday. Mr Patton officially assumed his duties yesterday after being received at Government House by tile Governor-General, Sir Cyrli Newall, to whom he presented his credentials in the morning. Mr Patton said that speed ill the transmission of news was a first essential, and the appointment of a direct representative would greatly help that. Mr Patton said there was a good deal of opposition in the Uhited States to the Administration’s post war plans for trade. The hewspapers showed this opposition, but they were notoriously anti administration. Whether they represented the true feelings of the American people however, not certain, since they had shown the same opposition to the Administration in the last elections, and the Administration had nevertheless been returned to power. Mr Cordell Hull's programme for the breaking down of the pre-war trade barriers had supporters on both sides in politics and he thought it was generally recoghised that the United States would have to import goods as well as export. That did not mean, however, that trade between any two countries would balance exactly. One nation was always likely to have a credit balance against the Ollier. • BANKS’ OPPOSITION The trading banks had shown considerable opposition to the Administration’s financial proposals and the Brrtton Woods conference decisions. The idea seemed to be widespread in the country that it would result ill America paying and the other nations receiving. "Big business always likes the Idea of regimentation, till it is Government regimentation,” said Mr Ration. Today the governments were in control of trade, and he felt that something of that would continue into the post war period. There were indications that the United Nations were getting tough With Argentina. Argentina WBk in aii excellent trading position. Nhe had the meat and grain which Britain wanted, and had been making a lot of mohey up to now. Whether the United Natiohs continued to buy from her was more a matter for Britain than for the United States. The United States was not selling much to Argentina nowadays. The things Argentina needed most the Unit* ed States was not now in a position to supply, tyres and transport machinery in the main. Mr Patton said ha had not seen any sighs that immigration into the United States would be any easier after the war than it was before it. There were no signs of the quota system being abolished, Mackenzie King had expressed Canada’s attitude to the admission of Japanese to his country after the war, and Mr Patton thought they would have a lot of trouble trylhg to get into the United States aiso.