FAREWELL SPEECHE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 228, 20 June 1919, Page 7

FAREWELL SPEECHE

MR. HUGHES ON THE STUMP

IMPERIAL ECONOMIC POLICY (By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright London, June 18. Mr. W. M. Hughes lias inaugurated a series of farewell speeches in London. At u- luncheon tendered him by the British Empire Producers' Organisation, Lord Milner presided. Lord Milner said that doubtless Mr. ■Hughes 'was not altogether satisfied with the advance Empire production had made recently, but during the war the Empire had learnt perforce to depend upon itself. Tho question now is whether the impetus the war had given will continue. - Mr. Hughes urgently appealed to tht Government to define Britain's economic policy. -Not'only .Britain, but the-Do-minions were entitled to know it. Germany admitted she had climbed to greatness by means of England's opendoor policy. Tho question txwlay was: Are we returning to the ">olicy which nearly gave Germany the mastery of the world? The-.adoption'of Imperial preference may 'be a mustard seed, destined to grow to a mighty tree, undei which the peoples of the Empire would find protection and comfort; but a bolder and more, definite policy was essential. Certitude was essential in labour, finance, and industry;, .also .the organisation of Imperial manufacturing trade on a great scale. Tho nation was still living on its capital', like a man sucking his own blood. Are the German's to be helped or permitted to -resume trade with Britain as they did before the war, 'sometimes under, transparent disguise? If so, Germany would creep back to her old position, and, the war would have been fought in vain. ■Unless, a definite- policy were adopted, which would give British manufacturers preference in their 'homo markets, and givp tho overseas: Dominions' raw material ' a' larger market within, the Empire, not only would Imperial trade suffer,'but the' Empire.would tend to disintegrate. The Dominions were.passionately attached to tho Empire, and do..not hold the new that "Empire" ii another name for Britain/, and an economic policy which did not recognise this would destroy tho Empire. The alternative was a policy of "Britain and the Empire for the Germans,", dictated, by tho pacifists and defeatists, or in the interests of international finance. -If this policy of negation were adopted it would not matter much whether ,tho Hohenzollerns or. Ebert the .Saddler controlled tho destinies of Germany— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. .