AN AUSTRALIAN IN AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 274, 15 August 1919, Page 8

AN AUSTRALIAN IN AMERICA

TRADE POSSIBILITIES SIR THOMAS HUGHES'S VIEW Many interesting impressions of the United States were gained by Sir Thomas Hughes, M.L.C., of the NewSouth Wales State Legislature, during ~i tour from which lie has just, returned. In an interview on bis arrival homo, he dwelt particularly upon the urgent need of advertising Australia, declaring that there was an appalling ignorance in America regarding the Commonwealth. As to the possibilities of developing trade, Sir Thomas Hughes said ho had frequently been asked that question. "I gave them all the figures I had available, but the troublo appears to be that while they send goods to us, such as motor-care, wo ■ don't seem to havo much that, they want in return. It is, however, jup to us to cultivate trade, with them, and to increase our exports. I noticed with great interest that America dealt very largely during the war in Tasmnniaii jams. They can most of their fruit in America. • There are, I tluiik, many ways of developing trade, and the establishment of prominent commercial men there as our representatives is very badly needed. Los Angeles is crying out for >a service with Australia." No Australian News. "Travelling to and from America," lie emphasised, "on tho wireless on shipboard vou hardly get a lino from Australia, although you hear all about what President Wilson' is saying. . Thisvarises from the stupid policy adopted by the Federal Government of refusing permission to private individuals to establish wireless 'communication, whilst at thesame time not establishing such a.service itself. "A'eilring Sydney we naturally wished to know whn't the position was in regard to the influenza epidemic, but we could get absolutely no news whatever. All tho newd published in the ship's paper came from San Francisco; not a lino from .Australia. This is bad management, for by this means good opportunities are lost' for propaganda work.' Australia, according to Sir Thomas Hughes, ia not on the map to Americanb. "Many of the passengers who came by tho Sonoma wanted to know things about Australia," be pointed,out. "They knew no more about it than a new-born babe. We must advertise. Depreciation <of the Sovereign. "And that brings me to another point. Unless we develop trade there is nothing to stop the depreciation of the British sovereign. Whilst I was in the States the value of the sovereign fell fronj idol. 86 cents to idol: 3D cents. This means a loss in. exchange of 5B cents. Well. 56 cents is over 25., and 2s. in the sovereign, is 10 per cent, of depreciation. In other words, if you sent an Australian sovereign or its equivalent to America to-day you could only.fict 18s. worth of-goods.for it. That can only' be remedied by developing direct trade. It is unknown to us in. a British community to have the sovereign depreciated over 10 per cent That is really one of the commercial problems we will have to consider." President and People.

Sir Thomas Hughes was -afforded opportunities of hearing debates both in tho Senate and House of Representatives on some of the burning questions notably on the League of Nations and Irohibition. "America," he said, does not st,and solid behind President Wilson, certainly not iu tho East; though |a%,.you come West ho appears to gain ground. His strength seems to lie in the West and Middle 'West. How long his popularity will be affected by the prohibition issue remains to be seen. Tho liquor interests generally looked to him to suspend the operation of tho War Regulation Act,-, under which prohibition takes effect, but he declined to do anything, and it came into operation, as you know, on July 1. I was in the West at the time, (and there were a ,good many 'amusing scenes—processions and funeral service's for the burial of John Barleycorn. , "Feeling in America is running high on the question, because the law was considered to work very unjustly in regard to tho winegrowers of the Western States, who at one stroke were beggared by what one could only regard as the hysterical action of the State Parliaments consequent on America's entry into the war. Thoso who haye put hundreds of thousands into the industry ' are absolutely stranded." The question of the Senato's approval of the Constitution of ■ the'-League- of Nations appeared, in «\ Sir. Thomas Hughes's view, to lie doubtful. "If lobby talk goes for anything, it is probable the Senate will not accept the Peace Treaty exactly as" it is drawn up. I think it is only necessary to get 16 senators to dissent and you destroy the constitutional majority. The opponents of the President are confident they can get tho one-third majority. Their argument is that President Wilson has destroyed the Monroe doctrine, and is plunging America into European complications, which' they have avoided for the last half-century. How far that is a political move I am not prepared to say.

Anti-British Feeling. "That leads me," lie proceeded, "to another question—the violent campaign by Hearst and liis satellites against Britain, The feeling in the United States towards Great Britain is very curious. They thought they were < comphinent- ■ ing me by telling me that thoy like our Australian soldiers, J>ut could not stand the British. "It is impossible for a visitor to shut his eyes to this strong anti-British feeling. We .'may as well recognise it, thought this was much less marked on tho ■ East Coast, than elsewhere. The farther you get from Europe the stronger this feeling is. And it has got to ho combated. We ought to do more propaganda work. Britain does little or nothing in this respert to counteract tho gross lies. "As for Australia, the ignorance re-, giirdiug the Commonwealth is simply ap- ■ pulling. There is tho greatest need lor advertising, especially if we want to attract desirable immigrants. Americai knows how to 'boost" m cxcelsis." America, added Sir Thomas Hughes, as a result' of tho war, was .waking up to tiie real national danger arising from tho mixed races within her boundaries, | A big campaign had now started to ! "Americanise" tho United Slates, and to weld the peoplo into one. "I have," he concluded, "come back convinced more than ever of the value of a White Australia. Of course, we can't stand still. We must have population, but it must be white."

Mr. Hour? 0. Beclcit, M.A., Bulliol College, has been appointed Reader in Geography at Oxford University for Qvo years from October nest.