OTTAWA CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21600, 22 March 1932, Page 11

OTTAWA CONFERENCE

WORK OF PREPARATION MR THOMAS’S STATEMENT HELP FROM INDUSTRIALISTS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, February 2. A delegation comprised of members of the British Committee on Empire Trade, representing the Federation of British Industries, the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom, and other representatives of the principal exporting industries, waited on the Rt. Hon. J. H. Thomas, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs. The meeting was arranged in order that the Government, in preparing the ground for the forthcoming Imperial Conference at Ottawa, might be fully informed as to the views of the leaders of United Kingdom industry on the various questions affecting them which might be the subject of discussion at Ottawa.

Mr Thomas first emphasised the importance that the British Government attached to the conference. Although reports had appeared in various newspapers of different foreign interests being anxious to conclude agreements affecting quite naturally their own particular trade, the British Government’s policy was expressed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer when in a public speech he stated that no commitments of any sort or kind would be made by the British Government that would prevent free and unfettered discussion and agreement, if possible, at Ottawa. It was common knowledge that no two dominions had the same interests in particular commodities, some being interested in wheat, others in wool, butter; eggs, and so forth, and affected in different ways. Therefore, while it was quite clear that there would be what was called a conflict of particular interests, he frankly saw no reason whatever why these conflicting interests could not be merged into a common recognition that the interests of all were more important than those of any section. But it was equally necessary to keep clearly in mind that they had a very distinct interest in the policy of the dominions themselves. No conference would be successful, or lasting, or beneficial, if it were assumed that all concessions were to be on one side. CONFERRING ON DETAILS.

Accordingly, in order to ensure not only the success of the conference but

that every possible detail should be worked, the British Government had invited the dominions to appoint representatives to go into details in Britain, or, alternatively, the British Government would appoint representatives to discuss them with Dominion representatives in the Dominions, or, if found more convenient, to adopt both plans. He was happy to say that those lines of procedure were now being followed. In the past there has been a change—whatever justification there was for it he did not know—that in this country the Government tended to ignore the views of the industrial and commercial leaders. To prevent that charge from being levelled against the present Govment the different interests affected had been invited to meet at the Domonions Office to-day in order to put before them the Government’s views of the value of a real Imperial agreement, and to seek their active co-operation and guidance from their own particular point of view, in order that when discussing any particular proposal at Ottawa the British delegation would know exactly what British industrialists felt about it.

TRADE ADVISERS. Sir Gilbert Vyle, in reply, said that Mr Thomas’s desire to work hand in hand with industrial representatives had been anticipated by the formation of the British Committee on Empire Trade, which was a reconstruction of the old British Preparatory Committee formed before the conference of 1930. Each constituent part of this committee could pursue its own studies in its own way, and the results when merged could be placed at the disposal of the Government. His view was in favour of a tariff sufficiently flexible to allow of the trade of this country being developed, and at the same time to offer reciprocal advantages to other parts of the Empire. in view of the fact that the Ottawa Conference would be mainly economic, he urged that the Government delegation might be accompanied by trade and industrial advisers.

Sir William Clare Lees, in assuring the Government of the help of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, said that, while in no way detracting from the importance of the discussions at Ottawa, it was important to remember that Imperial trade was simply a part of the trade of the world.

Sir Arthur Duekham said that one of the great needs at Ottawa would be to bring to bear a true Empire spirit, in place of the spirit of nationalism. A great deal, he urged, would depend upon the way in which proposals were put forward, and in formulating them an endeavour should bo made on all sides to get a close idea of the conditions and problems in other parts of the Empire.