RUSSIA’S TRADE POLICY

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1931, Page 3

RUSSIA’S TRADE POLICY

WAR RISKS OF A BLOCKADE. ENSURING EUROPEAN PEAOE. London, April 3. “From answers given in this House, comparing 1938 with last year, we find, giving only rough figures, that 300,000 loads of pit-props and pit-wood were imported in 1028, as against 727,000 that is to say, more than twice the amount —'last year. “If you take wood other than hardwood, and compare the same years you find that in 1928 1,600,000 loads were imported, as against very nearly 3,000,000 loads last year; that is to say, more than 1,000,000 additional loads were imported last year.” —Air. Locker Lampson, Mil’., in the House of Commons. Whether the conditions under which the labour employed by Russia with regard to timber supplies can be described as slavery the various inquiries by the Anti-Slavery Society and other bodies will probably make clear when their reports are made in the near future. The debate in the House of Commons on the question of stopping the trade proved most interesting. Speaking on the difficulties of a blockade policy, Air. Wise, AI.P., said: — “Let Us examine what chances the blockade and boycott of Russian exported products would have and what would be its effects. Such a blockade, if successful,'' would have to be complete, It would not be if Russia could sell her products to Germany or Austria or Italy. The only effect would be that Germany and those countries would get a most valuable trade, and this country would be landed in every kind of way. BROKE DOWN IN 1919. “It was tried in 1919, and it broke down and had to be abandoned. It was tried again in 1927.,, That is the only kind of explanation of the events of that year which I have ever heard. The Germans absolutely and definitely refused to play up, and necessarily so, because they had no alternative. Germany could not possibly exist if Russia were off the map of Europe. “There is not the slightest chance, as everyone familiar with .-international affairs knows, of Germany ever entering into such a league of folly. In the last three weeks, and it is a striking commentary on what we are discussing, the German Government have made an arrangement through the German banks by which £14,000,000. or £18,000,009 are being devoted to the export of. German 'machinery to Russia. ... /: '< <■ -. “Without the participation ; of, Germany and Italy, who herself has made similar arrangements during, the last six months, such a 'scheme would completely break down. If by any means these countries could- be bullied or forced into .inclusion in, such. a-.scheme, does anyone doubt that the immediate result would be an outbreak of . European war? “Hon. Afembers .opposite say they-do not want to interfere in the internal affairs of Russia. If they cut Russia off from contact with the rest of Europe in order to stop the progress of the Five-Year Plan, how long do they suppose Russia or any other country would tolerate that situation? AN UNAIITIGATED DISASTER. “I know of no country which has been blockaded, yet which has not attempted to break that blockade by war, and with the present temper and spirit of the Russian people, confident, proud, and. convinced of their capacity, either in industrial or military affairs, to carry through th: plans of reorganisation, I' assure Hon. Members that the effect on the Russian people of that sort of action at this moment would be, from the point of view of this country, commercially and politically, and from the point of view of. European peace, an unmitigated disaster.” Sir Hilton Young, M.P., in reply to the above, said; — “If there was any truth in the representation as to the attitude of the Russian Government we should be totally indifferent. We are not yet so liable to such minor apprehensions as not to be able to stand up iii' this House and say what we think is right for the interests and honour of bur own country. But I believe that the Hon. Member is totally inaccurate in his representation of the position. “We are much greater optimists than he. We think that were we to take such a course against Russian trade as a certain conclusion of the desired inquiry would lead to, it would not end in war with Russia, but in a reform of these intolerable abuses. At any rute, we'are not"!.t6 be diverted, from bur course by such menacing utterances in this House.’’ THE, POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES. ■Mr. William Graham,. M.P., on behalf of the, Government, referring to the Trade Treaty between Great Britain and Russia, said: — “It is no use Hon. Alembers ■ making an onslaught on the Treaty unless they are prepared, to stand up to the consequences of action of this kind, and what are the consequences? Under that temporary trade agreement, which we hope will be the basis of a larger and wider instrument in due course, it is quite impossible for this country to discriminate against any class of< Russian goods. . .■ , “The preliminary .Clauses of that Treaty make- it; perfectly, clear ■ that- we will only take any step'for .the, complete or partial exclusion of' Russian :;timib'er if we,apply that toy the*-timber of 'all' other countries in the. world, unless, of course, on the basis of ■ six months’- notice, we were prepared to denounce that temporary .-commercial agreement.. Is any Hon. Afeinb.er. prepared to suggest:that course", and should we add to the aggregate trade of Euroope. by such a step ? Is it not" correct to say, that the chances ■ are that' -that would naturally excite feelings of animbsitv, and. weaken the already difficult position 'in- which, we European -countries find, ourselves? g'. ‘ . “We have'always’maintained .that it is our duty to try to dp, .eyery thing in our power to. raise, the standard of labour conditions in-a.ll'parts of the world, and. that, in order- to carry out that-doc-trine, we have had to rely, ,and we must rely, on steady progress in international labour regulations. “No doubt that will be very difficult to attain, but nothing is to be achieved by excluding goods, which would mean restricting the trade of this country, aggravating its economic difficulties, and forcing down its labour conditions. Surely that would be the effect of such a policy. I do not think there is a remedy along those lines. “Wo have made it perfectly clear that we are not necessarily supporters of everything that is being done in Russia at present. They are engaged iu a vast and very remarkable economic experiment, and what we have always said is that they are entitled in their own way to pursue that experiment without outside interference. “I believe for the sake of Europe, for the reconstruction of th# industry of

the worl<i, in which Europe has a profound' interest, -we should do all the trade we can and get rid as far as possible of artificial barriers, and we believe that having that form of co-oper-ation there will be a steady improvement in labour conditions. It -is a matter of controversy at present how long this experiment will last “I say, let the experiment continue. Let us" give . all the we can. Let us remember that until that vast territory with between 140,000,000 and 160,000,000 people comes back effectively into European economic enterprise, there' can be no. sound basis for European peace, and no real hope for the economic prosperity of millions of European people.”