The Times MONDAY, JUNE 26, 1922. EMPIRE EXHIBITION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11246, 26 June 1922, Page 6

The Times MONDAY, JUNE 26, 1922. EMPIRE EXHIBITION

The tour throughout New Zealand of the mission, connected with the British Umpire Exhibition, to be held at Eondon during the summer of 1924, promises to be of more than usual interest. The object of the mission, as of the Empire Exhibition itself, is to promote in every possible way the adequate development of the vast material resources of our far-flung Empire and encourage to the utmost inter-imperial trade. This, with the twofold object of securing increased production m each and every part of the Empire, and of strengthening the bonds of commerce and community of interest so that they may bind the Empire more closely and firmly together. Increased production is vitally necessary in Britain herself and in every part of the British Empire, if Britain, the British Overseas Dominions, and tho Empire as a whole are to bear without undue effort and strain, the colossal burdens imposed upon them by the world war. But such increased production necessarily involves a demand for etill greater markets to absorb the food, the raw materials, and the manufactured articles turned out; and hence the urgent need for still greater inter-imperial trade. New Zealand has already given very practical expression to her .recognition of tho imperative necessity for stimulating, by every means in her power, inter-Imporial trade; for by the revision of the Customs tariff carried through last session British preference was given on 400 articles .<ss against the 200 only which previously came under the preferential tariff. Britain hitherto has always given to the Dominions tho incalculable advantage ot an absolutely free market, admitting all these products without let or hindrance of any kind, besides finding no small share of the capital that runs our many industries. That Britain is now disposed to go even further; that she realises tho need for doing all she can to encourage tho trade of the Dominions, not only with tho Motherland but between themeelvoe and with the various dependencies of the Empire, is shown by this great project of the British Empire Exhibition. Tho vast scale on which tho exhibition has been conceived is indicated by the fact that the Commonwealth and the State Governments of Australia have decided to secure au ollot-

mcnb of space tu provide an Australian | exhibition hall covering some 130,000 square feet, and to acquire an area of no less than 34- acres round the building for outeidc displays and other purposes. In spite of this, Australia’s total expenditure, including the cost of management, is not to exceed .fAXUHiO One object of i lie visit ol ihe Empire- Exhibition mission to New Zealand i» doubtless to confer with tho Government, with a view to ascertaining what this Dominion is prepared to spend by way of providing a pavilion, assisting New Zealand producers to deliver and display their wares, and so forth. The mission will also receive anil discuss suggestions with regard to the best practical methods of developing the raw materials of the Dominion and increasing the trade between Now Zealand and .other parts of the Empire. 'Flic agricultural aspects of the matter have already been gone into with our Department of Agriculture hv Mr G. Hiam, a member of the mission who recently visited New Zealand; and tho mission will now also consider in detail proposals with regard to the Dominion’s exhibits in relation to forestry, mineral resources, manufactures, progress in land settlement, and so on. In addition, the mission will negotiate with the shipping companies with respect to the rates of freight on exhibits, and of passenger farce for those desiring to make a trip to the Old Country to see the exhibition.

The project of tho 'British Empire Exhibition is the more welcome, as the recent proposal that war memorials should occupy the space at the Imperial Institute hitherto devoted to a display of the resources of the Overseas Dominions, seemed to argue chat I the things of t-hc war, which ts. hej»pjjy, dead and gone, were felt lo be ot more importance than the production, the trade, and the industry, the tilings of the living present, and the bases of the Empire’s future. Such a misconception of the true valuers of things would be fatal to the Dominions and to the Empire. We want to forget the war; so far, at all events, as the need for paying for it, for caring for the victims of the war, and. for guarding against a repetition of it will permit. And, as for the lastnamed aspect of the matter, the best safeguard against war is not preparation for war, but to- so build up and strengthen the British Empire by increased production in every part of it, and increased trade between e.very part of it, that it can .stand four square to all the winds that blow; strong in achievement for the peace and prosperity, not of the British Empire alone, but of the whole world, and strong, therefore, for war should any nation rashly force war again upon an unwilling world.