TRADE TREATY ATTACKED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16836, 27 December 1928, Page 10

TRADE TREATY ATTACKED

PROTEST AGAINST GERMAN PREFERENCE CAPETOWN. Nov. 22. The trade treaty recently negotiated between Germany and the Union of South Africa, was severely critised at a meeting of the Cffahiber of Commerce. The president said that while it was recognised Britain was South Africa's host, customer, under this agreement, the South African Government, was not favoring inter-Imperial trade. If it was proposed to give preference to certain British articles, it was also necessary to accord the same treatment to Germany, it was asserted by Hon. J G. dagger, member of the Legislative Assembly of'South Africa. Britain was unlikely to accept the position, he. continued. The Union's treaty with Germany is against the spirit of the Imperial Conference,” he said. "We j (may 'Britain for her generosity and goodwill by put-

ting her on an equality in regard to our import trade with Germany. Germany is one of our rivals; she will take nothing from us as compared with Britain.” Another .member declared the treaty precluded .South Africa from entering into an agreement, with Britain and other Dominion!;, and added: ‘‘Germany has broken through the customs arrangements' of the. British Commonwealth of Nations." When- the treaty was published in Berlin a few days ago, it was revealed that Germany had been accorded most favored nation treatment, hut that Germany does not receive the Imperial preferences granted hv Booth Africa to other Dominions, to Great Britain and to the colonies.