PRESS COMMENT ON THE SPEECH

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2726, 22 March 1916, Page 5

PRESS COMMENT ON THE SPEECH

(Reo. March 21, 10.10 p.m.)

London. March 21. Tho "Daily Telegraph," in a leader, says: "If Britain and her Dominions resolve upon a, new trade policy on the lines Mr. Hughes advocates, the greatest German commercial interests will he threatened with ruin. Germany believes that whatever; may have, been talked about in Britain, nothing has been done in the way, of Imperial reorganisation. British ports are still open to German goods, and at the end of tho war powerful influences will be at work to prevent any serious change. "The war lias knocked out the policy of unrestricted laissez faire, and it can only satisfactorily bo replaced by a system providing the Empire with the beginning of an organic uiiion and a fully-fledged Imperial trade policy." The "Times" says: "We.must realiso the fact that an organic union of ths Empire is an indispensable complement io British commercial organisation." The "Morning Post" says: "Mr. Hughes has appealed for . a definite statement. If. Mr. Asquith refuses to be drawn, will Mr. Bonar Law and Ift. Chamberlain remain in a Cabinet which stands the way of the ■ policy they represent? " The. "Daily. Mail" says: "Mr. Hughes's call for an anti-German tariff union admits of no evasion."