IMPIRIAL CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18519, 2 October 1923, Page 7

IMPIRIAL CONFERENCE.

EPOCH-MARKING EVENT,

IMPORTANCE OF PREFERENCE

ORGANISING NATIONHOOD. EMPIRE WORKSHOP NEEDED By Telegraph—Press Association— right. (Received 7.2 p.m.) : A. and N.Z. [ LONDON. Oct. 1. Writing in the Daily Express, Sir W. Beach Thomas says: The Britannic Congress, as it might be called, opens to-day to pool the ideas of an Empire which might be entirely self-sufficient and selfsupporting. If we could, properly organise • the nationhood of the British Commonwealth, the peace of the world would result, British wealth would abound, unemployment would disappear, and security of life and livelihood would be assured.

Outlining the - special needs of the various Dominions, he says, Australia is the Pandora of primary producers, producing so much wool, meat, fruit, and corn that she finds her markets insufficient, though she still has millions of acres undeveloped and has room for another 50 million people.

. A statesmanlike and ingenious suggestion is made that Britain can give Australia a larger market and at the same time benefit her own consumers by wiping out the out-of-date free trade and protection talk and establishing a National Purchase Board, with some control over the middleman's prciits, giving the board power to buy on a large scale and cooperate sympithetically with the nations of the British Commonwealth. The latest estimate is that middlemen are taking from the consumer £175.000,000 annually above a fair profit. If Australian meat, for example, had any sort of preference over Argentine, Australia would enjoy a new prosperity and vastly increased purphasing power.

; In a leading article the Daily Chronicle says the Imperial Conference will consider the question of preference in .3 totally different atmosphere from that of' the conference of 1907. Since then the world's economic conditions have been greatly changed through the. war. If the Dominions can commend schemes to improve and develop trade, which will relieve the burdens here as well as better the Dominions' condition, the horizon would bo cleared. All Liberals do not agree with Mr. Asquith that the ideal of a self-supporting Empire is a mischievous chimera. Doubtless such will not bo realisable for many years, but the strengthening of the ties binding the league of British nations and their maintenance as a civilising, pacific influence, is dear to the hearts of members of all parties in Britain. "••■''"'■".

The Daily Express in an editorial says the conference must solve the problem of unemployment in Britain. If It fails to solve that, nothing else matters. Four precious years have been wasted in barren polemics about reparations and indemnities. Our politicians have remembered Europo and forgotten Britain. Let the Imperial Conference forget Europo and remember Britain. Without Britain at work, the Empire may be a body without a heart. It would slowly decline and fall, like the Roman Empire. Therefore, the Dominions' fate is bound up with that of Britain. We cannot develop our Imperial heritage by staring at a European kaleidoscope, hoping" to find a pot of gold at the foot of the Ruhr rainbow. :: Europe is a warshop, not a workshop. Let us make the Empire a workshop, and not a warshop. ; '. The Sunday newspapers whole-heartedjy welcome the Dominions' full participation in Empire concerns. The Sunday Times considers the outstanding subjects on the programme are constitutional, military and naval, and economic "affairs. The writer points out that the English democracy is in a similar position to that of the Dominions ■in having no current control over foreign policy, but only a theoretical retrospective control. He expresses the opinion that tho problem in its dual aspect will be solved simultaneously. The Sunday . Express p bluffly urges the conference to waste no time talking about European affairs while the heart of the Empiro is stricken with unemployment.

THE' KEY TO SUCCESS.

." ; :..-;■. >',%'. ;Y ... ;.>: EXTENSION OF PREFERENCE.

OPINION OF ECONOMIST.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 7.35 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. I. Professor W. A. S. Ilewino, chairman of the Tariff Commission, writing in the Financial News, expresses the opinion that Imperial preference is the key to the success of the Imperial' Conference and to the future id Britain herself. Britain canrot look for restoration of her trade supremacy through an immediate extension of foreign trade. If she enters into full relations with' the rest of the Empire on the basis of the economic principles upon which the Empire was founded she will he in a position to obtain fairer conditions for British goods all over the world.

DOMINIONS' FREE CHOICE.

COMMERCIAL POSSIBILITIES. Times. ' LONDON, Sept. 30. Tho Times says the British Government will not attempt to force on the Economic Conference proposals which are rot acceptable to its members. The nation is prepared to accord the Dominions everything implied in the phrase "self-governing," but the conference marks The growing unity of the "Empire as a whole. ■ -

Tho war emphasised the commercial potentialities of inter-Imperial relations and revealed many of the dangers arising from economic dependence on / foreign countries, and thus quickened interest in the development of the Empire's : resources and increased exchange between the various- parts. '..• ■•■■' '.'/ v

The Times, in a. special article, discut.se.-> the practical possibilities'of developing inter-Imperial trade, as, '.'lev. example, the inauguration of a permanent economic coai'cil.-

THE OPENING SPEECH.

DELIVERY IN PRIVATE.

Australian ami; N.Z. Cable, Association. .: (Reed. 7, p.m.) %:■::, .','• ' LONDON,, Oct. 1. Mr. S. Ba'dwin's opening speech at the Imperial Conference will bo delivered privately, and handed ' to tho press afterwards. It is understood that a British Minister will be appointed'to act as press informant. . Baron . D'Abernon, //British Ambassador, at Berlin,' may attend the sitting on Wednesday to make a statement regarding the position in Germany.