The Daily News. MONDAY, APRIL 10, 1916. IMPERIAL TRADE POLICY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, APRIL 10, 1916. IMPERIAL TRADE POLICY.

Ii will be seen by this morning's cables that the British Government is stated to be removing all obstacles in the way of Mr. Hughes (Australian Premier) attending the forthcoming Paris Conference. The London Times very opportunely raises the important point that before the Empire can make arrangements with the Allies they must devise an Imperial trade policy, and never was a British Government faced with a more difficult task, for it will open up anew the fierce controversy concerning free trade and protection. It will certainly bo an advantage to the Dominions if Mr. Hughes takes part in the (Paris Conference, for though he only represents Australia officially, ho is well able to voice the opinions held by the Government of New Zealand, and possibly that of Canada. Australia's Premier has certainly created an immense stir in the political circles of the Homeland by his outspoken remarks on the questions of the day, for he has trampled upon several of Britain's cherished economical tenets without scruple in his determined campaign of arousing the Empire to make a clean sweep of German trade. At the same time, as the Daily Telegraph aptly remarks, he represents the spirit of the dominions to a degree unsurpassed by any public man in the Empire. It is quite a revelation to the conservative spirit of British statesmen and political leaders to find a Labor Premier giving utterance to such strong Imperial sentiments, which utterly disdain to take into account party shibboleths, at a crisis like the present, relegating to tli e background every consideration and every interest save only the crushing of the Teutonic military and economic power. It is neither wise nor prudent to expect that the wealth and resources of Germany will be exhausted for some time to come, but the tightening of tile blockade will hasten the process in spite of all the bombast of the German Chancellor. That phase of the economic question is one that time alone will determine, though there are not wanting signs that Germany's credit is crumbling, and there is no question that, before the war is concluded, Germany's finances will have given out. Knowing that it was by carefully and scientifically building up her economic strength that the hope of world dominance took practical shape in Germany, the Allies would commit a fatal blunder to allow the Teutons to recover that strength after the Mar. This blunder is not at all likely to be made, for the weight of opinion throughout the Empire, as well as in the domains of our allies, is overwhelmingly in favor of the adoption of effective 11101111? to crush German trade and comnicri'i' after the war. Can this he done without interference with the cherished traditions of free trade, for which a long mill bitter fight was made in Britain in bygone years? It is not only possible, but it is also desirable. At ithe recent Paris Conference, according to Le Temps, there was no desire evinced to favor a protectionist movement, the conference being of opinion that the destruction of German commerce during tlie war should be succeeded by a state of things which will prevent the enemy pursuing his disloyal economic struggle after the war is over. Protection has a decided tendency to foster monopolies, so that to get rid of one octopus and replace it with another, the tentacles of which are far more deadly, would be a suicidal policy. The aim of the Paris Conference should be to evolve a practical basis of economical operations that will stimulate trade between the Allies and penalise enemy trade. The Governments of the Dominions must be prepared to give and take as well as the British Government. By means of subsidies and bonuses many of the present economical difficulties can be overcome, but the one great desideratum is the creation of a self-contained Empire, so as to reduce the cost of living, instead of resorting to the dangerous system of protection, the evils of which ai'e only too apparent even in New Zealand. There should not be the slightest difficulty in penalising enemy goods and enemy shipping, nor in the Allies combining to render German trade and commerce so unprofitable that it will be mostly confined to enemy countries. If the forthcoming conference ait Paris frames the skeleton

I of a scheme there will be ample time for all concerned to consider the details and to pavo the way for a general agreement on the main points. The encouragement of Jocal industries and inventions, as well 'as scientific research, in order to be independent of enemy specialties should certaialy take a prominent place in the post-war economical struggle. Rightly handled the Conference should be of great value, otherwise it will be a failure