WILL ATTEND PARLEY

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 470, 3 June 1932, Page 1

WILL ATTEND PARLEY

U.S. Willing to Discuss Economic Problems. MAY MEET IN LONDON. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received June 3, 10.5 a.m.) WASHINGTON, June 2. It was disclosed at the State Department to-day that if the Lausanne Conference holds its adjourned meeting at London for the purpose of discussing plans lor the betterment of the world’s economic conditions the United States will be quite willing to attend. The United States has repeatedly refused to go to Lausanne because it feels that a conference there is primarily for the discussion of reparations and war debts. Britain and the United States are in complete agreement with holding a world economic conference in London, and the American Government will attend at any time that such a conference can be arranged. WHERE WILL IT END? Comment on Economic Conference. LONDON, June 2. “ What will be the end of this process of referring, deferring and conferring?” asks the “Financial Times” in a leading article on the subject of the proposed international economic conference. “ One thing is certain,” the paper says, “ unless something effective is done soon to stem the process of disintegration of the world’s economic system, a situation will be reached in which agendas will have little bearing on realities. There are three things to be done, all inter-connected, namely, the disposal of reparations and debts; secondly, the removal of the impediments to international trade, exchange restrictions, quotas and penal tariffs; thirdly, settlement of price levels.” OVERLAPPING SCOUTED. Reparations to be Excluded from Discussion. LONDON, June 2. Sir John Simon’s statement apropos of the world conference is welcomed by all parties. The view held in some quarters that the new conference would mean overlapping with Lausanne is countered by the possibility of eliminating the third stage of the Lausanne Conference and the allotted discussion on measures of relief of the depression. The advantage of examining world economic problems in conjunction with ► America is everywhere recognised and understood. The British Government suggested to Washington that the Lausanne Conference, after dealing with reparations, ; should meet as an international 1 economic conference, with America > represented, but Washington’s willing- ■ ness that London should be the venue ■ clearly shows a desire to avoid Lausanne, which is associated in the mind of the American public exclusively with debts and reparations. The opinion is widespread, therefore, that the new conference means some modification of the Lausanne agenda, with extension of the moratorium to Germany, and possibly the postponement of a conclusive reparations agreement until the new conference is over. In the meantime, Sir John Simon had a further talk with Mr Andrew Mellon, the American Ambassador, yesterday, and had interviews with the French and Italian Ambassadors. Mr Lansbury has made a statement to the effect that the Labour Party would welcome such a conference, which it has long advocated. “ The world cannot wait while the civilised : life of Europe, indeed of the world, . crashes before our eyes, unless there , is co-operative action now,” he said. The “ Daily Telegraph ” expresses ; the opinion that the conference will ; be a boon to the dominions, going to the root of their difficulties.