WORLD PROBLEMS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20624, 27 May 1935, Page 9

WORLD PROBLEMS.

Economic Survey of Nationalism. LECTURE BY MR G. JOBBERNS. The dependence of every nation on the natural resources of the world as the most vital element in opposition to tendencies towards economic nationalism, was urged by lr G. Jobberns, lecturer in geography at the Christchurch Teachers’ Training College, in an address on Saturday evenin £- The major problem facing mankind to-day, was, he said, economic nationalism in a world built up on the utilisation of power resources localised in a few areas. \\ e are prone to teach geography as if we were so many groups of Robinson Crusoes subsisting on what our little piece of the earth can give us,” he said. “Transportation facilities today are so complete that the great industrial communities reach out to every corner of the earth in the quest for foodstuffs and the raw materials to feed their machines. So all communities of men are more or less dependent on the powerful metal, power, science centres of the world, whether they like it or not.” Two Schools of Thought. The expanding field of economic endeavour, and the widening gap between political beliefs and traditional institutions on the one hand, and economic realities on the other, have created a problem with which two major schools of thought attempt to grapple, said Mr Jobberns. “One school sees salvation in national self-suffici-ency. Instead of pointing to the World War as an inevitable result of a policy of economic nationalism some statesmen, more convinced than ever that national security must be placed above every economic and social consideration. capitalise this stupid catastrophe in order to recharge the batteries of nationalism. “The other school preaches the doctrine of internationalism, urges absolute freedom of trade, and points out the advantages of a regional specialisation in that form of activity for which each particular part of the earth is by nature best fitted. Unfortunately for the realisation of this ideal the mechanical revolution—the great divide of history—is also the great divider of mankind. “Man has no choice but to grapple somehow with the problem of a world planning of the utilisation of the world’s resources,” said Mr Jobberns. “We must find a new institutional order. We are, indeed, already struggling to find the way to it. Rising nationalism already tramples down the rights of the individual and of business corporations. The Orient will industrialise or die in the attempt. All this does not seem to point to any real improvement of world conditions, but it demonstrates that no .social, economic or political order yet evolved can be regarded as stable. ‘‘lt seems likely that a decentralising of industry on a world-wide scale is imminent. It may possibly* have the effect in New Zealand of stimulating our secondary industries in spite of our deficiency in power resources. We may suppose that it will occur in proportion to the decline in the export of primary produce. It will, however, be only a phase—a throw-back temporarily to a stage of self-sufficient nationalism in the country.” Brazil is expected to remove exchange restrictions on over 200 products sold abroad in order to facilitate exports.