MOVES FOR FREER TRADE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22723, 8 May 1937, Page 12

MOVES FOR FREER TRADE

Influential moves for freer trade have led to the suggestion in London that it may be necessary to call an Empire economic conference next year on the lines of that held at Ottawa in 1932. It may be asked why the subject could not be dealt with at the Imperial Conference, which will be opened next Friday. The difficulty is that the conference will be concerned primarily with foreign policy and defence, and only generally with trade matters. The latter, as the Dominions are reported to be pointing out, are too complex to be admitted in detail to the agenda. In any case, the discussions on freer trade will have to be advanced a long way before an international conference can usefully be convened. These views have already been stated by Mr. Baldwin on behalf of the British Government. He removed even the renewal of Ottawa agreements from the scope of-Hie forthcoming Imperial Conference, holding they could best be dealt with in separate discussions between the individual Governments concerned. Hence, were it only a matter of Empire economic business, a special conference next year might prove necessary. Meanwhile there will be time to examine the important proposal attributed to Mr. Cordell Hull, American Secretary of State, that " Britain and the Dominions should join in a new economic trade agreement with the United States." The political as well as the economic implications of such a proposal cannot be overlooked. The interval will also give time to observe the progress made by the Belgian Premier, Dr. van Zeeland, with the mission he has undertaken at the invitation of the British Government, "to undertake a preliminary informal investigation in various countries as to the possibility of securing a general relaxation of quotas and other obstacles to international trade.' l