The Te Puke Times FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1934

Te Puke Times, 18 May 1934, Page 2

The Te Puke Times FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1934

A SCATHING condemnation of American industries which, it is said, have been supplying Paraguay and Bolivia with munitions to carry on what is termed a pitiless and horrible war, has been made by the League of Nations Committee, appointed to investigate matters with regard to the conflict, The Committee sug gests the control of the export of a-,r s and emmunitUn and states that the only hope of ending the war is c >llab >ratbn of the League, the United States and South American countries. The question of the control of the export of war munitions might well be considered by all Governments, To ai d v irresponsible private manufacturing firms to supply combatants with the means of carrying on warfare without any apparent restriction, is to give t vem f«r too much latitude. It has oftyn been stated that many of the wars in the past have been e lginr ered by the directors of munitnn firms, desirous of paying fat dividends to their share holders. The American firms referred to by the Committee are, doubtless, no worse than many o hers, but it' is a reflsc:ion on o ir boasted civilisation that men Oan encourage the slaughter of thrir fellow men, merely to gain monetary profits, The lessons of the Great War, with all its attendant misery and suffering, have evidently not been taken to heart by those whov by providing the appliances of are pro longing a ghastly struggle in the unhealthy Grad Chaco territory.

Signor Mussolini has tost no time in following Great Britain's example in prohibiting the importation of Certain silks and rayons from Japan. In so doing he is merely emphasising In a practical way his oft repeated assertion as to the danger of Japanese expansion in Europe. Self-preservation is the first law of nature, and even Japan must reoognise that •neither Great Britain or Italy can allow their industries to be ruined by the importation and sale of foreign c im modifies. Whilst it is admitted that the latter are greatly inferior to those of British manufacture there are many people who will purchase a po >r article rather than pay a little more for one of far better quality. Patriotism does not enter ir.to the question. We have members of our Cham bars of Commerce, which are mainly composed of business men, uttering smug platitudes as to the necessity of encouraging trade within the Empire, while at the same time they are importing the oheap Japanese goods and distribu ing thf m throughout the country. Whether it is the intention of the New Zealand Government to take similar action to that of the British Government has not been disclosed. The matter was left to the discretion of the Do minions

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