EMPIRE'S TRADE OUTLOOK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17337, 8 December 1919, Page 7

EMPIRE'S TRADE OUTLOOK.

AMERICAN COMPETITION. CONFIDENCE IN BRITAIN. MAN POWER FOR DOMINIONS. By Telegraph— Association — (Received 11-30 pjn.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, Dec. 4. Sir Newton Moore, who was formerly Premier of West Australia, and who is now a member of the British House of Commons, gave a luncheon to-day at the House of Commons to Sir Hamar Greenwood, Secretary to the Overseas Trade De- | partment. Mr. L. C. M. S. Amery, I Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, Sir Thomas Mackenzie, High Commissioner for New Zealand, and the Australian AgentsGeneral were present. Sir Newton Moore congratulated the Government upon, establishing a Department from which quick decisions were obtained which formerly was impossible through the overlapping of departments. The United States was extremely active in canvassing trade centres where formerly Britain had no rival. He urged that overseas representatives should be consulted regularly on trade matters. Sir Hamar Greenwood, replying, said that the Americans were our fiercest and most efficient competitors for the trade of the world. While we were fighting for our lives, America was absorbing the wealth of the world and securing markets it had never before possessed, but our sacrifices had been worth the cost. The British Empire was the greatest factor in the defeat of the enemy. He would do what he could to secure from the Empire the largest portion of trade for the Empire's use. The Government could not now offer large subsidies for shipping. It would mean more taxation, but he believed the comparatively small assistance would realise extraordinary results. If we did not have an Imperial policy, there was something wrong with the country. Sir Hamar Greenwood said that he did not think that the United States had realised all that it had expected in the way of trade since the cessation of hostilities. He would like to see the High Commissioners and the Agents-General, a more corporate body to assist trade development, because they possessed knowledge which untravelled people did not possess. He believed that the

shipping difficulty would soon dis- 1 appear. Mr. L. C. M. S. Amery said that he ; believed that our position was in- ' trinsically stronger than that of the United States. "If we make the utmost use of our resources," said Mr. Amery, " we shall leave that country standing still, notwithstanding our present handicap. We must supply the Dominions with all the manpower they need, and they will supply all the materials." | Sir Thomas Mackenzie contrasted j the warm reception the business men received in the United States compared with their reception in Britain. He complimented Sir Hamar Greenwood on his work, and said that he hoped that Sir Hamar would sweep away the aloofness formerly displayed towards oversea representatives in trade matters.