U.S. TARIFF REVISION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 634, 10 April 1929, Page 9

U.S. TARIFF REVISION

AUSTRALIA’S ATTITUDE EFFECT OF HIGHER RATES (Australian and N.Z, Press Association) WASHINGTON, Tuesday. The British Ambassador, Sir Esme Howard, this afternoon presented a memorandum to the State Department outlining Australia’s attitude toward the contemplated revision of the American tariff. The document, which consists of about 900 words and is accompanied by the necessary statistical material, was prepared by Mr. D. M. Dow, secretary to the Australian Trade Commissioner. in conjunction with Sir John Broderick, commercial counsellor at the British Embassy. According to Mr. Dow it is in no sense to be construed as a protest. It is rather a friendly document. Argentina, Canada and France arc among the nations which have opened conversations with the American Government on the tariff question. The feeling in those countries is so strong that the reprisal aspect has become a serious possible complication. It is understood that Australia’s attitude is rather different and that she takes the point of view that the American Government, by co-operation, can avoid the inevitable difficulties which would arise from rates that would be virtually qji embargo upon important commodities exported by the Commonwealth —rates such as have been asked for by important interests in the United States in the course of the recent sittings of the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives*. Such rates would have the inevitable consequence of embarrassing American exporters of important manufactured commodities because they must lead to disturbances of trade owing to the shutting off of the American market for primary goods from customer nations. The knowledge of Australia’s position will be interesting in the light of the much-mooted intention of Congress in the coming session to raise the rates on such commodities as meat, wheat, fruit, hardwood timbers, etc. It is- understood that the Australian memorandum follows the general lin* s laid down at Canberra by the Commonwealth Government, although th- ■ text of the document was drawn up at Washington and New York. It is further indicated that until the consent of the State Department and the Commonwealth Government is obtained the text will not be published here. However, it may be cabled to Australia for publication there.