TRADE WITH BELGIUM

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2417, 24 March 1915, Page 7

TRADE WITH BELGIUM

A DIFFICULT POSITION. A correspondent last week asked whether the placing of an order • for Belgian lace manufactured in Brussels would benefit the Belgians or the Garmans. The point was referred to by a Wellington business man in the course of a conversation with a Dominion representative. The gentleman in question is the agent for a Belgian house and he states that he finds it difficult to discover the exact position. Strictly speaking under international law a country occupied by the enemy is stated to rank as enemy country and trading with its inhabitants is trading with the enemy. Some of the Belgian houses, however, seem to be working from London to which place they ask that all remittances be sent, and the desire seems to be to keep the work people going and with that end in view sending to Belgium just enough to pay tie operatives' wages. He had, for instance, received the following letter last week from the head of a Brussels firm now in. London:— "We hope you have been ablo to secure' some new business in the meantime which we will_ be very glad to exeoute. It goes 'without saying that owing to the difficulties placed in our way by the German military authorities we cannot expect to work at a profit, but it is a vital question for our poor workers to earn a littlo. There is plenty of food at almost normal prices in Belgium for those who can pay for it. So placing orders with Belgium is helping the population as much or even more than money actually given away to them. So we hope you will do your very best." So far as New Zealand was concerned, added our informant, orders sent to Belgium now would not be executed for six months, and everybody hoped that by that time the Germans would be driven out. His own feeling was that in the circumstances the best course to pursue was to send the orders on to the Belgian firm's London address and trust to them being in a position to execute them without breach of law. The goods would have to pass through England in any case, and their character as enemy goods or otherwise would be settled there. At this distance to withhold the orders until the Germans were driven out might re-1 suit in a shortage of work just when i work would be most needed by the Bel-1 gians getting their devastated country on its foot again.