COMMON INTERESTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23595, 3 September 1938, Page 10

COMMON INTERESTS

NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL TRADING DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Sept. 2. "We must get to know one another as well as we possibly can, because there is an absolute identity of interest between our two dominions," said the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce (Sir Earle Page), in responding to addresses of welcome at the civic reception to-day. Other speakers, including the Minister of Lands (Mr F. Langstone) expressed similar sentiments, which were warmly applauded by a representative gathering of citizens. " It was never more necessary tor the people of the English-speaking world to get together than it is at the present time," Sir Earle Page continued. "It is specially necessary that the people of Australia and New Zealand should get together and know ver,y clearly what h is they want. Anyone who has followed international politics during the last few years must realise that the one chance 'of peace is a strong and well-developed British Empire." Great Britain had been leading the world to bring the restoration of international trade, he said. Peace must be based on international trading rather than on the doctrine of self-sufficiency. They had found during their discussions in Great Britain that there was a change in opinion on trade agreements. Once it was thought that the basis should be pound for pound on trade, but to-day the emphasis was not so much on this as on the development of the defence of various parts of the Empire. Sir Earle emphasised the cordial feeling in New Zealand to Australia, and said that after all the Dominion was actually closer to Canberra than were many parts of Australia. He also referred to the advantages of the radio-telephone as an improvement over the cables or mails as a means of communicating between Canberra and Wellington. Australia was pleased to have the co-operation of New Zealand in the air-mail service to be established between the two countries as part of the Empire system. Sir Earle said that isolation had been one of the disadvantages of the past. Expressing regret that two new ships for the Pacific service had not yet been built Sir Earle said he hoped that the deferment would be only temporary and that inside the next year or two there would be two very good boats, so that both the British and the American services would be available. •

"The ties of kinship and the adherence to a common purpose which have always bound New Zealand and Australia are becoming more closely knit by modern aerial transport, which bids fair to bridge the Tasman span by a dawn to dusk journey," said the Mayor (Sir Ernest Davis). "As is only natural. Auckland is pardonably proud of its selection as the first New Zealand terminal for the trans-Tasman/ Empire bi-weekly mail service, and it looks forward with hope and confidence to the day of the inauguration of an equally regular aerial trans-oceanic passenger service Breakfasting in Auckland and dining in Sydney will no doubt become commonplace as the years speed by "

Sir Ernest invited Sir Earle to return to Auckland for the centennial celebrations in 1940. "The institutions, ideas and ethics of your country are the same as our own." said Mr Langstone. in extending a welcome on behalf of the Government. He said that in the world to-day, with war clouds looming, it was imperative to get together to maintain democratic institutions. The two countries had inherited great gifts which brought with them great responsibilities, and it was the duty of public men to live up to them and make our country the envy of the world so that other countries would follow and emulate what was being done.