BUT NOT FREE TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 42, 19 February 1930, Page 9

BUT NOT FREE TRADE

CONFERENCE AT GENEVA

THE CASE FOE BRITAIN

British Official Wireless.

(Received 19tli February, 11 a.m.)

BUGBY, 18th Fobruary,

The Tariff Truco Conference opened in a minor key, and has been renamed ponderously the Preliminary Conference for Concerted Economic Action. Count de Moltkc, tiie Danish Foreign Minister, said that the shorter namo was regarded in certain qunrtors as implying something revolutionary. Ho explained that tho conferonco "had. only two objects: (1) A Customs truce; (2) the discussion of the main outline of future

negotiations. , ■ At tho International Tariff Truce Conference- at Genova'Mr. W. Graham, President of tho Board-of Trade, urged that a truce should bo arranged which would prevent tho signatory nations from giving any further protection to any industry for a term of years. "This is not it frco trado conference," he said, "but its object is to free trade from unnecessary ' restrictions imposed on it by unjust customs barriers. The object of a customs truco over a number of years is to make economic .security possible during that period and to lead to the drawing up of treaties for tho reduction of customs tariffs to the lowest' possible figure." , .. . He proposed that the truce should take- effect from Ist October next'and last for two years. The world was unsettled and restless in economic problems. A breakdown of this Conference would encourage countries which had been proceeding on a free trado basis to join in a tariff campaign. As soon as the truce had come into effect, a second conference should bo held to devise actual tariff reductions. Ho -suggested' the immediate formation of a special cominitteo to draw up a list of reductions. Britain and 'twenty-five other European countries are participating in tho Conference. Japan is also represented. The Government of tho United States has stated it does not feel that it could at this time usefully participate in tho'Conference, .but it-lias sent an observer. The . Governments of Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and South Africa are- 'not participating.