BUSY EUROPE.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 September 1922, Page 4

BUSY EUROPE.

POLITICS AND BUSINESS. ■Bv Sir Ernest Bonn). The very natural prominence which has been given to political questions, and the freqeuney with which international conferences are licit! and international crises developed and settled, are natural outcomes of the war and the Treaty of Peace, hut these things are giving to us and the world in general a dangerously false impression of fundamental conditions in Europe, and are doing much to retard that resumption of normal trade and commerce upon which all so much rely. A eiose study of tlie full report of the Genoa Conference leaves one with the impression that Europe is a pitiful mass of dejected peoples all vying with one another to explain lmw unbearable arc their burdens, and how had is thenplight. There is, of course, a certain amount of truth in all this, hut it is of the greatest importance that mast of these questions should he got ini a better perspective.

FALSE COMMERCIAL I.M FREESTONE.

Many of the questions which loom so large in the newspapers and occupy s > much time in public discussion, and sound so important when discussed in broad principle, arc of no inure interest or moment to the persons inhabiting the countries concerned than is the question of Proportional Representation to the average English citizen. Yet because these political matters arc so milch before the public, they are allowed to cloud our vision, and give an impression in commercial circles—in England certainly—-that Europe is not in a fit position to trade, and that the markets of Europe are for the tune being not worth consideration. There are, of course, many people who know better, hut our trading figures disclose all too clearly how widely these impressions are held. To take a few examples, the city < f Vienna brings to the mind of the average Englishman famine, rickety children, absence of food, poverty, and general wretchedness anil starvation. That is the effect upon the mentality of the public of all the efforts which have been made to alleviate the distress which did undoubtedly exist in certain parts of Vienna a couple of years ago. The real facts are not disputed: an absurd policy of food control copied from England, coupled with the workings of currenev depreciation, drove food off the markets of the towns, at the same time causing gluts in country districts. These matters are now practically right, but tboy leave their effect upon the public mind. Vienna to-day is by no means happy, but no more is London or Manchester. And Vienna is full of ordinary, active business mortals, getting along with the ordinary work of life in a mote or less ordinary way, and desirous, and indeed anxious, to develop commercial relations with the rest of the world

The same sort of misunderstanding arising from the undue prominence of political problems is seen in connexion with Germany. Germany is supposed to be poor and bankrupt and unable to pay the demands of the Allies. That may lie true so far as the German Exchequer is concerned, but to the ordinary traveller Germany has an appearance of prosperity and wealth which surpasses anything in Europe. "I he streets and the parks of Berlin are full of happy, active and opulent people, while a "trip through Westphalia nl night discloses industrial activities in the form of furnaces and factory chimneys which remind one of the Black Country and Sheffield in their palmiest days rolled into one. Or speak of Hungary, and the English mind turns at once to Bela Run, to Whites and Reds, to revolutions and counter-revolutions, to massacres and pogroms, and other political incidents, tract's of which it is very difficult for the ordinary commercial visitor to find when lie travels in this delightful loud. There is no doubt at all that things are not what they were in Hungary, or what they will be again ; but there is equally no doubt that business is waiting to be done in Hungary, and that conditions are quite good enough for the business man who will take the trouble to study them. Russia is supposed to lie closed to normal business, and for practical purposes that is undoubtedly so, but nevertheless it is significant .to notice

that the Russian rouble is quoted on the Berlin money market. On May 22 seven and a half million roubles could be purchased in Berlin for n sovereign. It is surely not to be presumed that people buy seven and a half million roubles for (lie fun of looking at them, and it is hard to imagine any use to which these roubles can he put except for the purchase of Russian goo-is. There are other ways in which qiir knowledge of the-Continent of-Europe is by no means as complete and accurate as it should he. In political discussions a very great deal is made of the inconveniences which arise from passport arrangements, and all the restrictions placed upon the movements of the various nationalities over frontiers. Distressing pictures are painted of customs harriers and import and export restrictions, all of which things, of course, abound. Within the last few months I have crossed and recrossed all the frontiers . of Central Europe, been examined and re-ex-amined by officials in every sort of uniform ; my passports are blotched all over with stamps nipd signatures; 1 have answered questions as to my sex, mv height, my age, my religion, and my polities in many languages, and yet I can state without the least hesitation that there is no frontier in _ the tv or Id that 1 know, except New York, which lias half the terrors, half tin inconveniences, of half the indignities that are put upon one in endeavouring to enter an English port.

C‘<)NTINENTAL TRAVEI.LINO FACILITIES.

It is none too widely known that travelling facilities on the (ontinent are the best in the world, and they nr. (ertainly in some European countries the cheapest in the world. Wo have nothing in England to equal the second class sleeper on the German main line, while there is nothing anywhere tc approach the multiplicity ol lacilitirs for travel by air now freely' available in Central Europe. A great deal too much has been made” of the difficulties of currency. To the uninitiated it seems at first sight a trifle cmnpli.catcd. to have tc pay five or six thousand crowns lor a <:,i» fan', or 150 marks for « lunch, but none of these things are nunc troubles me than the currency which lias for some generations past’- served

the purposes of our oldest allies, the Portuguese. The currency difficulties i are quoted far too commonly as an ] excuse for the absence of business, i Manufacturers and merchants on both sid;s are far too prime to take refuge | in this question as ail excuse for their; . own lack of enterprise and initiative, j A fluctuating currency is a great in- j (onvenionec. It would he. absurd to > belittle the seriousness of the position of some of the European countries ill this matter, but a lluc-tuatiig currency is, nevertheless, not a bar to business, if tlic business man is willing to take a little extra trouble. Many firms are adopting the very simple expedient ol doing business both ways; one wellknown manufacturer is selling his goods freely in a country with a very um-.'itaiii currency, lie having taken the precaution to provide himseli with j two or three buying agencies, thus on- j sbliiig him to buy and sell and balance his hooks, and lie completely independent of miv fluctuation in the rate of , exchange. This case is perhaps excep- j tiomil and shows cotnineiidnhle enter- j prise. It is not necessary to point out. to experienced commercial people that , ■ . ....i ~r /.-in rtlivnvs he .

any sort of currency can .u«a>s o. bought at the moment that it is re-j (pii red, and that business transactions can l>c in t-lii-s wav relieved altc.vethe of any clement of risk on account "I changes in currency values. There is urgent need fur a reconsideration of our position ill regard to Europe. The politics of Europe are important, and it is. no doubt, important that we. should understand Lhem and take our proper place m lli political councils ol this sorely tried continent. But it is equally impouant that we should not allow impressions gained in the political field to warp our views on commercial matters, or to mislead us into a totally crion-.'o'.is impression ol commercial possibilities.—From "The Chemiia! Age."

Be prepared for Hay-fever and Suaimer colds. Keep a bottle of “NAZOL” handy. A dose .in time saves nine, fid doses Is (id. I,'coemluMc worm n.mody—YVAD.i S \V(). \1 BIOS Children like them.