TRADE TALKS IN LONDON

Southland Times, Issue 23512, 19 May 1938, Page 6

TRADE TALKS IN LONDON

INCLUSION OF CANADA POSSIBLE 6' NEGOTIATIONS LINKED WITH AMERICA / (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) LONDON, May 17. The political correspondent of the Australian Associated Press says that the scope of the British-Australian trade negotiations may be widened to include Canada. This possibility will be discussed when the first full meeting of the British and Australian delegations is held tomorrow with representatives of the Board of Trade, the Dominions Office, and the Ministry for Agriculture. , A It is understood that the Australian delegates feel that with time passing and still no sign of a real beginning of business, something should be done to indicate the programme for the talks; but difficulties continue because the British seem uncertain of the order of procedure. ■ , The situation is complicated by the British-American, British-Australian, Australian-American, and AmericanCanadian negotiations being so interdependent. Apparently the Canadians consider they cannot conclude their discussions with the United States yet, in view of the United States demands for a removal of preferences, until they know where they stand with Australia. Accordingly the Australians feel that the negotiations might be better approached if a Canadian delegation came to London. Sir Earle Page (Australian Minister for Commerce), referring to Mr Malcolm MacDonald’s transfer to the Colonial Office, said: “We are all most sorry to lose Mr MacDonald, who had such a splendid understanding of our problems and is most popular with all. We greatly looked forward to his participation in thp forthcoming negotiations. Lord Stanley is immensely popular with all the Dominion representatives, and I am sure we will receive sympathetic understanding from him.”