“MUST SUCCEED”

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1932, Page 7

“MUST SUCCEED”

CONFERENCE AT OTTAWA

GATHERING OF DELEGATES

IRISHMEN ARRIVE. FIRST

OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPIRE CONFIDENCE OF. LEADERS By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Rec. 8.30 p.m. Ottawa, July 17. -‘The Imperial Economic Conference at Ottawa will be a success —it must be,” is the expressed opinion of Mr. Stanley Bruce (Australia) and Mr. W. Downie Stewart (New Zealand), who were at Regina on Sunday and who stated: “The conference arose out of stark necessity; it has got to be a success in our own interests and in the interests of the whole world. “The Empire is a net exporter of wheat and the main line of any well-founded policy must be towards the cultivation of good relations with all importing countries,” said Sir Arthur Holmes, one Of the representatives of the National Federation of the Corn Trades Association, who is en route to Ottawa. The conference of all branches of the timber trade is also represented by a delegation. Colonel R. C. A. Morgan, the spokesman, said that at the moment Empire lumber was represented by only about 4 per cent, of what was used in Great Britain, and the spirit of “buy Empire” was strong enough to make serious efforts to take an increasing percentage. SPEED ACROSS PRAIRIES.

The delegations speeding across the prairies spent an uncomfortably hot day in Manitoba, with an average temperature of 90 degrees, through country resembling a mallee with hundreds of miles of ripening wheat and oat crops. The Australians observed all short stalk crops and learned that these varieties were universally grown On the’prairies because they, matured rapidly. Mr. Melville said a similar type was being developed in South Australia. The special Canadian-Pacific train is nearly a quarter of a mile long, consisting of 14 steel cars each weighing 90 tons. It averaged 60 miles an hour on the 1000 miles run from Banff to Winnipeg, the world’s greatest granary. As an indication of the intense Canadian interest in the conference, Winnipeg journalists boarded the train 150 miles .westward to obtain interviews.

Mr. S. M. Bruce, interviewed at Winnipeg, said this was the first Imperial Economic Conference for which adequate preparations had been made. Australia had been working on Empire trade problems for the past four months and was going to Ottawa well equipped to discuss every phase. There was really only one problem—world commodity prices. Although the British nations were unable to solve it th® Ottawa Conference could make a substantial contribution. CANADA’S MAXIMUM PROBLEM. Canada had a maximum problem because of its great industrial development. Australia’s problem was much smaller because although the Commonwealth possessed considerable secondary industries practically all Australian exports were primary products. Canada’s position was more difficult than that of the other Dominions because Canada was both a primary and a secondary exporting country. Mr. Bruce saw great opportunities for Canada in industrial co-operation with Britain. Both countries with the assistance of its industrial leaders could say: “This niarket is for you, that for us.” There was a great opportunity for Canada to give a lead in that: connection. Radiant skies welcomed the British, South African, Indian, Northern Ireland and Southern Rhodesian delegates to Canadian waters on Sunday as the steamer Empress of Britain passed through the straits of Belle Isle into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The ship will probably dock at Quebec on Monday at 1 p.m. Prayer for the success of the conference was urged by Cardinal. Verdier, Archbishop of Paris, following a Mass' on board on Sunday. “The conference,” he said, “is restricted to the many peoples of the British Empire, yet in material things it offers an example which might well serve as an inspiration to others.” Cabinet Ministers, departmental officials and the general public gathered at the Union station to-day and extended a welcome to the first of the national delegations to the conference, the Irish Free State group.