IMPERIAL PREFERENCE NOT ENDANGERED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 197, 18 May 1944, Page 5

IMPERIAL PREFERENCE NOT ENDANGERED

British Post-War Trade

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 16. A hew outline of Britain’s post-war aims and plans was given by the Minister of lieconstruction, Lord Woolton, in the House of Lords. He said that the question of economic and monetary policy could only be decided by the war Cabinet in the presence of the head of the Government of the day. I would do everything I could to preserve the head of the Government from having at this moment to deal with these highly controversial problems.” he added. “The plans for great military operations are occupying the attention of the Prime Minister and the War Cabinet. They are being pursued with great vigour, and fortunately with all signs of success. It is on these martial issues that our future economic life will depend. We have learnt that if we are to preserve peace in the future we must be prepared for war.” Lord Woolton said that Britain s plans for full employment and a larger export trade must include the Empire and the world. “To get all the good things we want, our expansionist .policy must have the full co-operation of the manufacturer.” he added. Full Employment. “Our social and economic stability depends on whether we can get trade moving in and from Britain to other countries in sufficient volume. We are all committed to a policy of full employment, which means something more than ijull employment in Britain; it means full employment over wide areas throughout the Empire, and greater areas than that. . I bejieve it is through an expansionist policy that we shall get the very great benefits for which we are looking in the future. “The Government is working in concert with the Commonwealth and with foreign countries to establish world conditions favourable to expansion of our

export trade. We believe other countries are recognizing the importance of our having a large export trade. We shall pot be able to afford all those good things for which we are looking unless we earn them. We shall not be able to earn them unless our manufacturers, by their skill and enterprise and the application of all the scientific knowledge which they have so fully used in the war for the preparation of weapons, use them for commodities that will go to fulfillipg the needs of the people in peace. If they use that scientific knowledge with the same eagerness we shall get that large increase in export trade ou which the whole policy of full employment will depend.” Lord Woolton made it clear that the present position regarding Imperial preference would not be endangered.