DOMINION'S POSITION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 148, 25 June 1931, Page 7

DOMINION'S POSITION

BRITISH INDECISION COMMENT BY THE PRESS. Received June 24, 11.10 p.m. LONDON, June 24. Declaring that the Government was •committing a serious error in delaying a declaration concerning the effect of Mr Hoover’s offer on the Dominions, the Morning Post says: “There ought not to be a moment’s doubt regarding our intention to offer them the full benefit of a year’s moratorium. We cannot deny our kith and kin the relief which we are conceding to the foreigners, especially when no country is more desperately in need than Australia. For the honour of our country, let the Government speak now. ’ ’ The Daily Telegraph, referring to the position of the Dominions, says: “British official circles emphasise that this is a strictly domestic affair which should form the subject of an interEmpire and not an International argument. There are highly technical questions yet to be cleared up.” THIS YEAR’S TAXATION. UNCERTAINTY OF SITUATION. [ Per Press Association. ) WELLINGTON, June 24. In reply to a question, the Prime Minister, Hon. G. W. Forbes, said it was impossible to indicate whether Mr Hoover’s debt postponement scheme would have any bearing on this year’s taxation proposals of the Government, as the suggestion was in a tentative form. New Zealand had already paid the half-yearly instalment for the current year. The whole matter was the subject of correspondence between the Government and the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London. MR MELLON HONOURED. TRIBUTES TO AMERICA. [British Official Wireless.] RUGBY, June 23. Mr A. W. Mellon, who visited Cambridge to see his son to-day receive his degree of Bachelor of Arts, was himself the recipient of a distinction. The intention of the University to confer upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Law was not generally known and he received loud applause. When, wearing a scarlet robe, he was represented to the Vice-Chancellor by the Public Orator, who in a laudatorv speech in Latin coupled NTr Mellon’s visit to England with President Hoover’s recent pronouncement. Tn reply to a question in the House of Commons regarding the recent talks with Mr Mellon, the Prime Minister stated that the conversations were in no sense official and therefore he had nothing to report. The British Government’s cordial acceptance of the broad principle of President Hoover’s proposals, announced by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons, was to day handed to the United States Government by the British Ambassador at Washington (Sir Ronald Lindsay). Speaking at the American Chamber of Commerce luncheon in London, the Hon. J. H. Thomas said that the magnificent action of President Hoover showed that he and his people were not only alive to the economic factor, but also to the psychological factor. He could do no other at that American gathering than pay tribute to the wonderful gesture which was the first really practical step towards the world’s recovery. “But don’t let us fool ourselves.” Mr Thomas continued, “by assuming that this is the only key. Do not Jot us misconstrue the situation by assuming that all is now well. There are still many difficulties to get over. There must be other moves and those moves are, I believe, inevitable.’’ FRENCH REPLY DELAYED. A NEWSPAPER’S QUESTION. PARIS, June 23. Cabinet has deferred formulating a reply to President Hoover till to-mor-row. Le Journal declares that President Hoover’s proposal will involve France, Belgium, Italy and Britain in Budget deficits, leaving Germany the only country with a surplus and strengthening her position to oompeto in the world markets. The newspaper asks: “Is this what Amerie; wants?”