INTER-DEPENDENCE OF NATIONS

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 13 June 1933, Page 7

INTER-DEPENDENCE OF NATIONS

KING’S MESSAGE TO CONFERENCE

GOODWILL AND SINCERE CO-OPERATION

Seeking Path to World Prosperity

Future of Two Hundred Million People

(United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) Received 1 p.m. to-day. LONDON, June 12. When His Majesty the King opened the World Economic Conference he addressed representatives of 66 nations containing 200,000,000 people. Three hours before the conference began a great crowd, notably cosmopolitan in character, haci assembled outside the entrances, and the King, who drove from Windsor, ivas loudly cheered on his arrival and as he left. As the King entered the conference escorted by Mr Ramsay MacDonald, the president of the conference, Sir Eric Drummond, SecretaryGeneral of the League of Nations, and M. Avenol, SecretaryGeneral to the conference, everyone present rose and remained standing while His Majesty delivered his address. * He referred to the work of the League of Nations, which he always followed with keenest appreciation, and said that without the League and its ideals he doubted whether the conference would ever have taken place. He also recognised the spirit of helpful co-operation which brought representatives of States not members of the League to these discussions, and extended a special welcome to the. Empire delegates. Interposing a passage in French, the King said: “It is with very profound emotion that I see around me this august assembly, which seems so vast, but which represents an infinitely vaster contemplation—the hope and Avishes of the entire Avorld. The world is in an unquiet, state and for you Avho, from to-day, begin the work of restoration, the task is heavy. It is not to be achieved except through goodAvill and sincere co-operation. I extend my hand to you and with all my heart I wish that your will be brought to the happy result which the peoples of the world await with impatience.’’ Continuing in English, the King said the eA’idenee of a real desire to reach agreement gave him hope. All nations Avere suffering from a common ill shoAvn only too clearly by unemployment figures and the‘meaning of Avhieh, in terms of human suffering, had been his constant concern in recent years as it had been of everyone present on whom the responsibility of government had rested. “It cannot be beyond the power of man so to use the vast resources of the world as to ensure the material progress of civilisation,” he continued. “No diminution in those resources has taken place. On the contrary discovery, invention and organisation have multiplied their possibilities to such an extent that the abundance of production has itself created a new problem and, together Avith this amazing material progress, there has come a neAV recognition of the inter-dependence of nations and the value of collaboration betAveen them. Now is the opportunity.to harness this ucav consciousness of common, interests to the service of mankind.” The King concluded: “I pray that the results of your labours Avill set the Avorld once more on the path of prosperity and ordered progress.” The King remained Avhile the speech Avas translated, after Avhieh he left escorted by the Prime Minister.

DEVELOPMENT OF CRISIS

Ramsay MacDonald’s Review

NEED FOR ACTION STRESSED

Economic Life Distorted

THIRTY MILLIONS WORKLESS.

REDUCED LIVING STANDARDS.

(British Official Wireless.) Received 1.15 p.m to-day. RUGBY, June 12. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, president of the Economic Conference, addressed) the company following the King’s opening speech. Mr. MacDonald briefly outlined the state of the world that made the conference necessary. “The economic life of the world,” he said, “has for years been suffering from a decline which lias closed fac tories, limited employment, reduced standards of living, brought some States to the verge of bankruptcy, and inflicted upon others recurring Budgets that cannot be balanced. Since 1929 prices have fallen and have kept well below the level at which produc tion can be remunerative. They hav< fallen irregularly, moreover, and have distorted normal economic relation* ship. “The fall in prices has added oppressively to the burden of world indebtedness. In 1932, compared wit! 1929, production and material fell In 20 per cent. Exchange between town and country has been tragically limited. The national income has fallen seriously everywhere, in some countries between 40 and 50 per cent. The gen- , era! crisis, accentuated by restrictions i by tariffs', by quotas and by exchange I rol, has reduced international trade between the years 1929 and 193 i to less than three-quarters in volume exchanging at about half price. Inevitably, irrespective of policy and forms of Government, unemployment has mounted until the world figure has reached 30,000,000. This cannot go on.”

Behind the subjects he had mentioned, Mr. MacDonald saiel, was another of first-rate importance, namely war debts. The conference was not constituted in such way as. to enable it to consider and settle this matter. “The war debts question must bo dealt with before every obstacle to general recovery has been removed and it must be taken up without delay by the nations concerned,” continued Mr MacDonald. “The Lausanne Conference has to be completed and this vexed question settled once, and for all in the light of the present world conditions. This conference is a sequel to the work done at Lausanne last year when, bv conditional agreement on how to deal with war debts and reparations. Europe was saved from immediate financial collapse.” The world could not right itself without international agreement. The Inst few years had proved that a purely national economic policy improver[shod other nations and those who pursued it. The nearer they could , make the world an eoonomic unit the

better would it be for each nation. The Prime Minister stressed _ that rapidity of agreement was essential to success.

BUREAU SET UP

PRIVATE MEETING HELD.

(British Official Wireless.) Received 2 p.m. to-day. RUGBY, June 12

On the proposal of the President (Mr. Ramsay MacDonald) a bureau of the World Economic Conference was constituted as follows: One representative from the delegations of each of the following countries—Argentina, China, Czecho-Slovakia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, United States, Union of Soviet Republics, and one British Dominion, Canada.

The bureau held a private meeting at the end of the plenary session.

The conference resumes to-morrow when. Mr. Cordell Hull, the American Secretary of State, will be among the ■peakers.

“We Must Not Fail”

BAN ON SELFISH NATIONALISM.

SPEEDY RELIEF ESSENTIAL,

Received 1.40 p.m. to-day. LONDON, June 12

One of the best declamations of Mr. lamsay MacDonald in his speech at lie opening- of the World Economic Jonference was undemonstratively tceived. It was that war debts must ,e settled, and indeed taken up imuediately, and a seal put on the uausanne Conference labours. Mr. MacDonald trenchantly condemned elf-sufficiency and economic nationalism, and again and again affirmed: '•‘We must not fail.” He was equally insistent on the need for speedy relief. The conference is unique, because it was inaugurated without a single nation suggesting a vestige of policy. There is at least one point on which the Empire delegates are in strong agreement—the uplifting of commodity prices.

General Smuts (South Africa) revealed it was a crying need of his country, and he found that Australia and New Zealand were similarly obsessed.

General comment draws attention to the quiet simplicity of the opening. Indeed, the silence was almost grim. All agree that the King set a splendid keynote, with which Mr. MacDonald’s supplementary reiteration against failure was in keeping, but as yet it is too early to find an indication of reaction.

Mr. Cordell Hull (America) says: “We have some surprises to spring. The delegates wore morning dress, and the only touches of colour were two Arabian slieiks in flowing robes and cowls, and an inescapable heliotrope 'creation of General Smuts’ woman secretary. The speeches begin at 10.40 tomorrow morning.