WORLD CONFERENCE?

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 103, 18 May 1937, Page 5

WORLD CONFERENCE?

American Press Favours Discussions NKW ^YORK, May 17.' | ' ,Th.e Imperial Conferenc© speeches of Messrs Lyons and Mackenzie King were : widely featured in the newspapers and i received with the .greatest interest in I Washington as evidence that Mr Mac- i kenzie King's recent visit there is ■bearing fruit and that his efforts on behalf of the freer, trade policies of • Messrs Roosevelt and Hull were given support by the Australian Premier, thus greatly increasing the likelihood of the conversion of other premiers to t.he same view. Mr Lyons' pact pTOposal is regarded as opening wide possibilities in the Pacific, but due to the contfoversial nature of the subject and the insufficient outline of the proposal contained in the published despatches, American official circles refused.to comment at least until receipt of the text of the speech or of fuller information as to just what is involved. The New YoTk Times, in & leader, states: "Although the turning point in the world depression was reached flve years ago the volume of world trade is still at a comparatively low level. Prohibitive tariffs still prevent the nations profitably buying and • selling each other 's goods. The Imperial Conference prompts the question whether it is not time to xenew the effort which fail-ed-at 1933 for a world conference. Although now such a conference is un■necessary and might even be hazardous •progress can be made by negotiations iwhenever two or more Powers are willing to act together in the common interest. A trade agreement between Britain and the United States i^ould open a wide breach in the tariff walL" Other newspapers withheld an expression of their views due principally to the fact tfiat the speeches caught them during the week-end which also reSulted in the unavailability of official eom- , ment in Washington, , ~