PACIFIC COUNTRIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21577, 23 August 1933, Page 9

PACIFIC COUNTRIES

COMMERCIAL PROBLEMS BRITISH EMPIRE POLICY DISCUSSION AT BANFF JAPANESE COMPETITION By Telegraph— Press Association—Copyright (Received August 22, 5.5 p.m.) OTTAWA, Aug. 21 The slow evolution within Britain from a. laissez faire policy to ono of protection was described by a British delegato when the policies of Britain and the Dominions in regard to trade promotion were discussed to-day at the conference of the Institute of Pacific Relations at Banff, Alberta. Just as tho Ottawa agreements represented the capitulation of Britain to the world-wide trend toward economic nationalism, said tho delegate, so tho recent growth in the size and efficiency of the Board of Trade and the Department of Overseas Trade represented activity on tho part of the British Government in promoting exports which would have seemed strange to statesmen in Britain under Queen Victoria. The speaker said that another factor which accentuated tho economic nationalism of trade had been intensive advertising campaigns, carried on often with the Government's support, to stimulate the consumption of national products. Some difficulty in interpretation was encountered in regard to Canada's export figures for the first.months of 1933. Sharp increases in exports to the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand were caused, it was considered by some members, by the Ottawa agreements. Others said they felt it was still too early to declare that the increase was not simply a part of the general worldwide increase of international trade. International Trade Conflict A general picture was presented to the conference of large and increasing control by national units over their international economic relations. This increase was said to be larger and faster than any comparable increase in the field of international control. These measures were shown to have led directly to an accentuation of international conflict exemplified by tho export control bodies in Australia, preferential and discriminatory tariffs in Britain and the Dominions, Japanese Subsidies to tho export industries, tho promotion of foreign trade by the United States Government. All were seen as symptoms of a tendency which has become world-wide.

Tho point was made in the course of tho discussion that although many of these measures affected other countries adversely and added to tho threat of international conflict they were adopted for the most part for purely domestic reasons.

An Australian delegate advanced the view that even in domestic terms these measures of control had failed. This position was challenged by other delegates. Japanese Shipping Subsidies Japan's development in Northern Asia of the -woollen textile industry was commended by a British delegate. He said new markets for Australian and other wool were being provided, and what was more significant was that the use of woollen clothing throughout Isorthern Asia was gradually being extended. All this ho said was a development no ona should regret. It was intimated during to-day's discussions that Japan, which, with other countries, denies tho privileges of coastwise trade to foreign ships, would modify her regulations if the other nations would do tho same. The Japanese contended that ib was not fair to infer that Japanese subsidies to shipping gave her an undue advantage over her competitors. In a world which denied the privileges of c6astwise trade it Mas difficult for Japan to compete, it was argued.

WESTMINSTER STATUTE NEW ZEALAND'S POLICY SATISFIED WITH POSITION (Received August 22. 8.35 p.m.) OTTAWA, Aug. 21 Up to the present New Zealand has not taken steps to adopt the Statute of Westminster, according to a paper by the Rev. W. A. Curzon-Siggers, of the University of Otago, which was read to the Institute of Pacific Relations at Banff to-day. New Zealand was satisfied with her present position within the Empire and would not become an independent sovereign State. The paper said the genius of British and Dominion statesmen would always find waya to prevent any breach of the Empire's unity in spite of the different ties which bound the various sections together at present. It was doubtful if the New Zealand Government would proceed any further with tho statute.

AUSTRALIAN WOOL JAPAN'S HOSTILE THREAT BOYCOTT PLAN DISCOUNTED LONDON, Aug. 21 There is good reason to believe that Japan is anxious to negotiate commercial agreements with the British Dominions, and recent utterances in Tokio hostile to Empire trade were probably designed to bring pressure on the Dominions. The Sun news service says it understands that Japan particularly desires a trade treaty with Australia, and the threat to boycott Australian wool by Japanese industrialists probably was aiilied at inducing Australian woolgrowers to influence Canberra, in the hope that they would frighten the Federal Government into seeking a trade agreement. The threat to use South American wool need not be taken seriously, because South American cannot replace Australian any more than Japan can grow wool successfully in Manchuria.