BACK FROM OTTAWA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21273, 29 August 1932, Page 9

BACK FROM OTTAWA

BRITISH DELEGATES WARM WELCOME RECEIVED SUCCESS OF CONFERENCE By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received August 28. 5.5 p.m.) Aug. 11 The liner Empress of Britain, with tho returning British delegates to the Empire Economic Conference aboard, docked yesterday at Southampton. There was a deafening chorus of welcome from the sirens of a hundred steamers, while flags were dipped _in salute and aeroplanes and flying-boats swooped dowi) from overhead. The Mayor and the corporation gave a civic welcome to the delegates before they disembarked. Air. Baldwin said: "We were a very happy, united team. We did not care who made the runs provided that runs were made, and we hope and believe we have done a useful bit of work." In the course of a broadcast speech Mr. Baldwin said. the conference had more than fulfilled hopes. The agreements made would help tho Dominions materially and react favourably on British trade with them. Mr. J. H. Thomas said the conference was a success from every point of view. Tho Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, having flown from Lossiemouth, arrived at Waterloo station just as the boat train from Southampton with four members of the British delegation drew alongside. Sir John Simon, who was in another aeroplane, had also flown to London from Lossiemouth and joined Mr. Mac Donald's party, which included several members of the Cabinet. The King was represented by Viscount Hampden, a Lord-in-Waiting to His Majesty. During the afternoon the Prime Minister met in turn each of the delegates. The Cabinet sat this morning and this afternoon and discussed the Ottawa agreements and the position brought about by them. RESULTS ACHIEVED BENEFIT TO THE WORLD ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION LONDON. Aug. 20 The British delegates who returned from Ottawa by the Empress of Britain issued the following statement upon arrival at Cherbourg: —"The events of the year Lausanne, the war loan convcision and now Ottawa—have shown that we have moved away from the area of deep depression which has long been crowding the horizon. With this widespread inspiration we proceed with full confidence to the World Economic Conference, which will form a -fitting conclusion to a year of solid and substantial advance to better times. "The agreements with the Dominions at Ottawa were marked by a degree of success far beyond anything we had expected, . and we are confident that they will lead to increased Empire trade, exercising an influence far beyond the Empire's confines. The greater scope to Australian and New Zealand primary products in the British markets will rescue the pastoralists, who were almost on the verge of ruin owing to the calamitous fall of meat prices, and steps are being taken to devise orderly marketing of supplies." An authority who was in very close touch with the proceedings at Ottawa, interviewed on the liner at Cherbourg, expressed the op.nion that the conference had created a strong foundation on which the Empire Governments could build an even stronger policy of economic co-opera-tion. It was noteworthy that common principles were approved in regard to the classification and interpretation of tariffs. The agreement not to return to the gold standard until certain conditions were fulfilled was also a remarkable achievement. The very fact that there had been some openly-expressed disappointment at the results was the best proof of the success of the conference. MR. COATES PLEASED CONFIDENCE JUSTIFIED GENERAL RECOVERY AIDED VANCOUVER, Aug. £G "We are well entitled to look with real satisfaction upon the results of the Ottawa Conference, and I return to New Zealand sincere in the conviction that our hopes and beliefs in the conference were well placed," said Mr. J. G. Coates to-day. "I am glad too that for the most part the Empire countries, in their efforts to foster trade among themselves, proceeded along the road of diminishing tariff barriers within the Empire rather than along the facile way of increasing tariffs against outside countries. "This is one of the aspects of the conference illustrating the general desire to foster world trade and, so far as lay in our power, to assist general recovery. Mr. Coates laid particular stress upon the achievement of reconciling so many varied and often conflicting opinions and interests of the various sections of the Empire, and expressed thanks on behalf of the New Zealand delegation for Canada's hospitality. LABOUR OPINION AIMS OF DELEGATES " SCRAMBLE OF INTERESTS " LONDON. Aug. 2G "I have never seen such a scramble of interests," declared Mr. John Bromley, chairman of the Trades Union Congress, who has returned from Ottawa. Mr. Bromley said the various delegates to the Empire Conference exhibited more desire for what Ihey could get out of it than for the glory of tho Empire, the revival of world trade or any other consideration. DR. CRAIG RETURNING SAILS FROM MONTREAL (Received August 28, 5:5 p.m.) MONTREAL, Aug. 27 Dr. G. Craig, New Zealand Comptroller of Customs, with his wife and daughter, sailed to-day by the Canadian Challenger for, the Dominion.