WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 January 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON NEWS

N.Z. AND U.S.A. (Special-to “Guardian”.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 4. Dr Ivennurd, who is described as a disgruntled visitor to New Zealand, and who is said to be much interested in the development of the British Dominions in the Pacific, strongly advocates that New Zealand should follow the example of Canada and the Irish Free .Ante, and appoint a Minister at Washington, and not to be content with the appointment of a resident commissioner from New Zealand in the United States. The appointment of the former would make New Zealand equal (diplomatically) to all the foreign countries and would confer other rights which would be denied to a mere commercial representative. Jt is difficult to see what New Zealand is to gain by the appointment of either a resident commissioner or a tully-fledged minister. With respect to diplomacy we may leave that entirely to the Mother Country, for whatever diplomatic problems may arise in the Pacific the interests of Great Britain will be ours, and our interests will be those of Great Britain.

A minister representing New Zealand at Washington would ho a costly luxury, and we cannot afford luxuries just now. Nor do we require the less important resident commissioner whose functions would be that of developing trade. The American idea of trade with foreign countries is to sell as much as possible to the toreigner and to buy as little from him, and as this is the settled policy of the country there can he very little scope for useful service for a resident commissioner from New Zealand in Washington. A new thought which is bound to develop, and be largely discussed in 1928, is the pooling of the resources of the British Empire on the same lines as the resources of the forty-eight states of

America are merged. In the United States there is an area of 3.000,000 square miles and a population of about 120,000,000, with one language, one currency, one exchange, and one set of weights and measures. Round this territory has been erected a ring fence of Customs duties, but within the territory there is absolute free trade. There are no barriers against the removal of goods from New York to San Francisco, or from and to any other city in the United States. There is no prospect of developing mutual trade with a country like the United States. Europe recognises the position. Forced by an enormous power, faced by America, with her vast enterprise, where one association like the. United States Steel Trust makes as much steel as the whole of Europe put togther, the manufacturers and industrialists of Europe are turning to the idea of the economic unity of Europe. The idea is in embryo, but it is developing.

The tendency is disclosed in the recent cartels, and the negotiations of the chemical industry which are, taking place between France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy show the economic headway that is being made. Tho lending economists of Europe are advocating a Customs Union of the whole of Europe so as to deal with American competition. Europe in effect is endeavouring to follow the American example of a single economic unit. The question is asked what is to he the position of Britain in this new development. Will she join the Continent of Europe in forming an economic unit oi will she remain outside?

If site remains isolated will she ho able to. withstand the economic pressure of the United States and United Europe? Isolation under such conditions would be dislocation and disruption, for Britain could not stand the pressure of such mighty forces. The way out of the difficulty is to pool the resources of the Briitsli Empire. With Llie British Empire as territory of economic unit., we could mass produce to an extent never dreamt of by tho Americans.

The area of the British Km pi re is 13,1500,000 square miles or more than double tile area of Europe and the United States put together. The British Empire produces (if) per cent of the world production of gold, -12 per cent of the world’s production of tin, S** per cent of nickel, .‘lO pel* cent of zinc, and over 07 per cent of copper. The production of wool, wheat, rubber, and dairy produce are all big percentages. An empire pool would lie worth while, and what is more such a merger of our resources is being forced upon us.