THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1932 CROSSROADS AT OTTAWA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21263, 17 August 1932, Page 8

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1932 CROSSROADS AT OTTAWA

An* intimation of possible disap-' pointment comes from an observer at the Ottawa Conference. Not in a mood of despondency, much less despair; but conveying the idea that the conference may not accomplish all it set out to do. Some things may be left for other occasions of consultation between the various British Governments. If so—this is the view—thfere will be a measure of failure. Against this, Mr. Baldwin's speech as the guest of the Canadian Club and in the presence of other heads of delegations puts a hopeful prospect. He admits the difficulties of complete agreement, even the difficulty of maintaining the high ideals and living up to the speeches made prior to the conference ; nevertheless, he expects an outcome advancing helpful co-opera-tion throughout the Empire. "I hope and believe"—his words have particular value at this stage of the proceeding's—"we can carry away from Ottawa an elevation of mind to sustain us and a consecration of our fellowship which will help us to tread the difficult path in the coming years." If that be done, the failure to settle every question raised will be splendidly redeemed. Some have expected too much in the way of final solution of trade problems. Af}, these are affected by conditions of worldwide scope in certain respects, complete remedies for commercial ills have been beyond reach; first-aid attention has been the utmost immediately possible. Moreover, circumstances of foreign business have had to be taken into account, and they complicate the task. Even in reaching provisional conclusions the task has not been easy, as the prolonged "meat battle" has proved. Many crossroads of policy meet at Ottawa, as divergent as the industrial and commercial experiences of the different units in the Imperial group. Full agreement on all points, consequently, was not to be reasonably anticipated, and estimates of success ought to take note accordingly. In Mr. Baldwin's speech, made as the last days of the conference approach, the larger view of the task is well taken. Thei-e has surely been "a consecration of fellowship," and J this counts for more than all schedules of tariffs and quotas. Without it, they could neither be intelligently designed nor practically worked. A marked tendency in the economic structure of the world is the development of groups ; nations having much in common —not necessarily political affinities—look to mutual aid for their individual and collective prosperity. Why, then, should not the British group, starting with,the advantage of a shared genius and history, and maintaining hitherto a considerable degree of commercial association, proceed upon a plan of closely co-operative business? The very calling of the conference and its frank interchange of recitals of local need have assumed an underlying unity. If the conference were to end without any appreciable results that could be tabulated as a basis for mutual benefits in intra-Imperial trade, if the delegations separated without any of them carrying away the assured prospect of an improvement in the economic life of its own country, there would still be this unforgetable experience of a heart-to-heart talk on critical questions. Should light on practical problems be broken by baffling shadows, a pervasive glow of friendship would abide and spread. And this would be more than compensation. It would keep alive the unity that has produced the Empire and will remain essential in all future plans to consolidate its internal business. Preserving that, the conference would not be a failure.

Yet there is no necessity, happily, to anticipate failure in its practical business. Already a good deal has been accomplished. Tentative agreement has been reached on many points. The will to agree has been palpably present and operative. Mr. Baldwin has referred to buoyant speeches prior to the conference. Their optimism was reiterated at the opening session. He himself expressed his confident belief that the conference would end with definite arrangements for mutual advantage. The real importance of Ottawa, he added, lay in the fact that it marked the point where two roads diverged, the one leading to the development of purely sectional interests, the other to closer Imperial unity and to the recognition of advantages in mutual co-operation in trade. Mr. Bruce followed with an assertion that failure was unthinkable and that some things could be done without waiting for complete international agreement. Mr. C'oatcs declared that the conference dared not disappoint the expectations that had been raised. These utterances were typical. On all hands acknowledgment was made that the conference would be judged on its practical achievements, on its harnessing of the spirit of unity to workable schemes promoting all-round British trade. Never for a moment has that been forgotten. The right road has been taken, and considerable progress made. If it should be found necessary to leave some things for future discussion, the way for that has been well opened. It is too soon to say what will be so left. Even the most obstinate of difficulties may vanish before the curtain is rung down. On the broader issues of the level of wholesale prices and means to control currency there must be patience until international action has provided conditions of adequate stability, but a beginning has been made by recommending lines on which this action should be taken. Tn matters of purely national interest, this phrase covering all the business that is particularly the Empire's, there is now hope of so extensive an outcome that the conference will go into history as a success, preparing for greater achievements as these are afterwards attempted.