“BE UNITED”

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20274, 7 April 1934, Page 21

“BE UNITED”

Appeal to Australia by Mr Bruce. BAD CONDITIONS ABROAD. ftrraral hundred men, representative of all sections of the public, professional and business life of Victoria, attended a civic reception to the "High Commisioner, Mr. S. M. Bruce, at the Melbourne Town Hall by the Lord Mayor. Mr. Bruce said that terrible tragedy was ahead of most of the nations of the world, but ahead of Australia was progress, even if it must be alow pro* grese. Great Britain was enjoving improved conditions, and even though sweet, syrupy things were atill being said, her condition had genuinely improved. The United States of America, on the other hand, was in a tragic way. No one could conceive the seriousnesa of her position. “We are well off here, but we must continue as a united people,” Mr Bruce said. 'Mnteruaay we may brawl as much as we wish—out of differences comes progress—but externally let us be united, resolutely doing the right thing.” Penalty of Default. Australia had faced her financial responsibilities and J>aid what ehe owed, said Mr. Bruce. It was fortunate for Australia that she had preserved and enhanced her good name. For that she stood well in the world’s eyes, and hatL an open market. Had Australia dj faulted, the door to the markets for her surplus products—a market vital to her—would have been closed. Such duties would have been imposed against her that she would have been suffering appalling punishment. “We have Btood up to every obligation, and that will help us with Britain in the negotiations ahead of us,” ho said. Apart from the great and fundamental question of preserving peace in the world, there was the great question Of where to find markets for surplus production. That was the object of Mr. Bruce’s visit to Australia. The world, he said, went to the last great economic Conference knowing that world trade had fallen to one-third of its normal level, and that restoration of that trade was imperative. Barriers were to be cast down and trade was to flow as freely as it had done previously. “The conference achieved absolutely nothing,” Mr. Bruce said, “except, perhaps, that it brought home to us at .east that there was no immediate hope of realising a solution of world problems by breaking down the barrier* that had been flung up against trade.**