MOVE TOWARDS FREER TRADE.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 95, 8 May 1937, Page 4

MOVE TOWARDS FREER TRADE.

If, as is thought by many, the first step towards finding a solution of the world's troubles is to be found in the restoration of some kind of freedom for the world's trade, then there are some fajrly hopeful symptoms deyeloping, Great Britain has all along hccn contending for this, but the i ntense desire, born of the war, on the part of other countries to establish a system of self-suf ficiency — really almost an im" possibility in a world with so many and varied artificially created wants — has hithertp stood in the way. There would, however, appear to be gpme prospect of a relaxation pf the stand thus adopted. This is np doubt forced uppn relnctant rulers by the condjtions that have arisen among their people, leading to internal discontents pf which they are compelled to take notice, The optlook is also made very much more favourable hy the faet that the United States, standing well outside the European political confusion, is now baking a decided part in trying to^prpmote a revival of international commrece by removipg some pf the many oh^tacles thaf have been placed in its way during post-war years. In this we see, of course, an almost complete reversal of the policy which Washington had maintained for very many yeara. Even there the iinivprsal depression that afflicted the world has cpnyinced then) that even a country with such greaf internal respurces as the Big Republip cannpt )ive entirely tp itself behind high-tarjff walls that were almost ex--clusive. It is, however, to the credit of Mr Cordell Hullnow leading the campaign for freer tradee, that ever since he tQok office as President Roosevelt's Secretary pf State he has recognisecj this and has lent all his weight to bringing about a change. In this he has been so far successful that his Government has entered into several bilateral trade agreements under which the mutual exchange pf bpth raw material and manufactured commodiites has been greatly facilitated. This was, however, for him only the beiinning of a process which he hoped inight graduaHy broaden out into some mpre generaj pnderstanding amopg the nations. In developing this pqrpose he can rely npon the cordial co-operatjpn pf Great Britain, and in such a combination of influential forees we may see some chance of nltim.ate success.