MUCH DEPENDS ON U.S.

Chronicle (Levin), 5 June 1947, Page 7

MUCH DEPENDS ON U.S.

Mr. Nash Reports On Talks Overseas WELLINGTON, June 4. United States had a major role to play in the next decade in eonnection with the whole strueture of world trade, world production and world living standards but sljte could not play that role successfully if her objective was to get tariffs down in other countries to the same extent as she reduced her own tariffs, said the Minister oi Finance, Hon. W. Nash, at a press conference this afternoon following his return from a trip in which he attended four.international conferenees. Mr. Nash said that United States would have to find means of taking tnore imports as she increased her exports. Mr. Nash said New Zealand 's pr.oblem in regard to trade with United States would be three parts solved if United States were prepared to take goods to pay for those surpluses of her own production which she sought to get rid of. It was true that in recent years our exports to United States had increased but not to a sufficient extent. Our only ultimate source of dollars was gocSds we could sell for dollars because we would not contract overseas debts to meet our requirements of dollar goods. Mr. Nash said the magnitude of the problem for world trade as a whole, was emphasised by the fact tliat United States last year produced goods valued at 210,000,000,000 dollars but while her exports totalled 16,000,000,000 dollars. her imports were oni} 8,000,000,000. Eeferring to the effect of the United States Wool Bill upon current trade talks at Geneva, Mr. Nash said the United States wool tariff was most important to Australia. South A^rica and New Zealand, although New Zealand was not affected to such a great extent as Australia because. part of New Zealand s wool export to United States consisted of carpet wools which were duty free. The three wool exporting Dominions hoped the Bill would at least be modified for its effect, if passed in its original form, would be very serious. "Tlie atmosphere at the Geneva diseussions has been as good as could be, except that the wool produeing coun tries think United States has got to do something in regard to the wool tariff,' ; said Mr. Nash. The Minister said a substantial measure of agreement as to concessions which could be made to other countriet, was reached at the British Commonwealth diseussions held in London before the Geneva talks opened. There had been further British Commonwealth diseussions at Geneva and in these latter talks New Zealand had set out very clearly her views that tariffs and subsidies were not enough to protect partly developed and undeveloped- coun-

tries, and he thought there was iinally a large measure of agreement with New Zealand 's views. Mr. Nash said he believed bilateral as well as multilateral agreements must emerge from the diseussions still pxoceeding at Geneva but he cousidered that the principles pf Gie .G'.ade.cljai'ter were of greater importance than tariff negotiations. Mr. Nash said he attended for one day the conference at Lausanne of the International Kefugee Organisation to the constitution of which New Zealand was a party. In London he had numerous diseussions with Sir Stafford Cripps to determine wliat supplies could be made available from Britaim for New Zeaiand's manufacturers aud other industries. Britain would help us to her utmost but her need for hard currencies might create some difficulty. Mr. Nash said he discussed with the the United Ivingdom Government and also with the Indian delegation at Geneva, India's desire to buy some butter from New Zealand. Questioned about , future butter prices, Mr. Nash said New Zealand had no intention of pushing Britain hard but if our competitors, especially the Danes, continued to receive increases in price for their produce, we might have to ask for some adjustment. So far, however, he had no more than preliminary diseussions with the British Food Minister, Mr. Strachey, as to the price for our next season's butter export. It was nonsense, said Mr. Nash. to speak of the people of Britain as starv ing, but they had a slender margin in food supplies and it was the irritation of queuing up and monotony which affected the people. He found, however. that the peoples of Britain, France and Switzerland were better off than during the war. Britain was still very strong and the British system and way of life — by that he did not mean imperial-

ism — throughout the world depended to day on the working man in Britain. The crux of Britain 's problem was coaJ and the miners were responding excel lently despite the fact that there was never an industry in a worse muddle than was the coal industry when the British Labour Government took office. "I have never found a better spirit in Britain than on this visit, ' ' said Mr Nash who mentioned that he saw nc hope in world food prospects, of any early let up in British rati'oning andtherefore no likelihood of an easing' of the present rationing in New Zealand We were achieving tremendous credit in Britain for our assistance with par-

cels and by other means. Mr. Nash discussed his participation in the New York Conference of the Social and economieal Couneil and said that in the important matter of fuli employment, New Zealand had urged that a full study of the problem had already been made and that aetion was needed. Partly as the result of New Zealand 's advocacy, a resolution was adopted which should enable the secretariat to take some action to promote high and increasing standards of employment. Mr. Nash said he believed the objeetive of improVing liying standards throughout tlie world was the most important task of Uno, surpassing even the responsibility of the Security Couneil in avoiding war. The value of the trade diseussions was to further this ond of raising living standards by faeilitating the^ exchange of goods on a worldwide basis. Helping Europe's Children. Another important matter discussed by tlxe Kew York conference .was a pvo-

■ !■ II I posal that the emergency children 's fund should be aided by a worldwide collection of one day's pay later this year from al_l persons willi.ng to assist. T.t had been estimated that millions of children might die. if they were not aided within the next twelve months, and Mr. Nash said he had asked for preeise information as. to the degree ot aid needed in various countries. He be lieved that if this faetual information he had sought could be: made available, the response to the appeal would be far greater. He had given an assurance that the New Zealand Government would assist the , project to whatever extent could justly be expected of it. Mr. Nash said the New Zealand Gov- ' ernment had taken .offiees on the sixth floor of the Empire State Building, New York, which would be occupied by our delegates to Uno and also by our eonsul'general who had moved there from the offiee he had previously occupied. Speaking of his- visit to Canada on the way home, Mr. Nash said he had been erroneously reported as being the direetor of a large Canadian aluminium concern which was interested in the praeticability of aluminium production in New Zealand. The mistake arose from the fact that a Mr. Bash, who is a direetor of the compaify, was going to make a survey visit to New Zealand. Mr. Nash paid tribute to the members of his staff and other New Zealand delegates to the Geneva talks. Mr. Na$h, in his 14 weeks' absence from the Dominion, travelled 28,974 miles, spending 150 hours in the air. Today, for the first week in six ycars, ke lunclied at koxae. I