INTER-IMPERIAL TRADE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19171, 30 November 1927, Page 8

INTER-IMPERIAL TRADE.

MUCH ROOM FOR EXPANSION. MR AMERY MEETS COMMERCIAL [ MEN. (FRBS3 kS&OCIkTIOX TBLBOBAM-) WELLINGTON, November 29. Mr L. S. Amory attended a reception to-day given by the Navy League and Victoria League. He spoke of the importance of the Navy, and the necessity for having a force to keep all routes open at all times. Although the Navy had been reduced in actual numbers of men and ships, it was never more efficient than to-day.in every essential direction. A reception to Mr Amery by the Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Association was held to-day, the chief guest being described as thei chief commercial'traveller for John Bull and Company. ~ "We value the status we have, said Mr Coates, "and wo take full opportunity of expressing our views, but if Britain in her judgment deems it advisable to take a line of action, then Mr Amery can convey this message to the people at Home—New Zealand will be found standing beside the Motherland. My remarks," he went on to say, "refer to the higher side of our national life and to the thoughts that run through the minds of every citizen in our country to allow and to foßtcr trade within the Empire." Mr Amery spoke of the urgent necessity for the development of inter-Empire trade, and each country's resources. He expressed his conviction that they were only at the beginning of the development of the British Empire. He thought the United States could show us a good example of what could be done with the resources of a great and varied territory. There they had more railways than the rest of the world put together, a greater use of mechanical power, whether electric or steam-driven, than the rest of the world; a greater production and consumption of steel and iron, and many other essential commodities upon which modern industry was based, than the rest of the world put together. And they had done it on a territory about a quarter the size of the British Empire. The people who had done it were mainly of our own stock, and the capital had largely been drawn from Great Britain. There was nothing the United States had done that the Empire could not do if only we ceased thinking in a watertight compartment and realised the advantage of pooling our resources. There was no reason why w« should not exceed anything the United States had done to date. The resources and the ability were there. He appealed to commercial travellers to do their best for Empire trade in New Zealand, not only on the grounds of sentiment but also of business. The prosperity of New Zealand, he said, was dependent upon the prosperity of Great Britain. After his address Mr Amery waß presented with the honorary membership badge of the Association.