CONDITIONS AT HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 December 1922, Page 12

CONDITIONS AT HOME.

TRADE IMPROVING. . SIR FRANCIS BELL’S RETURN. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington. Dec. 1. The Attorney-General , (Sir Francis Bell) was among the passengers from San Francisco by the Tahiti, which reached Wellington to-day. He had been out of the Dominion for about six months, and during that time had represented New Zealand at a conference of the League of' Nations and nt other important gatherings in Europe. He has returned in good health after many interesting experiences. When he left England the now "Ministry was being formed and preparations were being made for the general deetion that has since resulted in the return of a Conservative majority to the House of Commons. Sir Francis Bell said yesterday, in answer to a question on the subject, that ho did not. feel qualified to comment confidently on the political situation in Britain. He had known many of the retired Ministers. He was not so well acquainted with the members of the new Government. He was quite surp that the formation of a stable Government, backed by a secure majority in the House of Commons. was in the interests of Great Britain and of the Empire.

The conditions of trade in thp United Kingdom were improving, but anxiety would remain until the return to a normal state of affairs was accomplished, said Nie Attorney-General. The general opinion in London was that the corner had been turned. Business men and politicians were Speaking a good deal more hopefully of the future when he left Britain than they had been doing a few months earlier when he arrived there. The demand for British goods was increasing, and unemployment was less acute. But it was obvious that many tasks awaited the business community and the new Government.

Europe, added Sir Francis Bell, was seething with troubles. But the nations there: were keeping the peace, and while they did that there was reasonable ground for hoping that they would find a way out of their manifold difficulties. An encouraging feature of the European situation was that many small difficulties were being referred to .the League of Nations for settlement. The League was doing more work than a reader of the Press cablegrams might imagine.

The Attorney-General mentioned that ope of the most intere«sting ceremonies in which he took part while in Europe was the unveiling of a memorial to New Zealand soldiers at Longueville. The memorial stands on the site of a trench which the Germans had deemed impregnable and which, nevet'theleiss, the New Zealanders captured by assault. It overlooks the Somme valley, where the New Zealand Division advanced for twenty-three successive days, taking everv objective on every day. It was at .the end of this period that the British Coinmandor-in-Chlef telegraphed that the New Zealanders had «jone oven more than they had heen asked to do and added: “No praise Is too groat for these troops.” Sir Francis Bell read Sir Douglas Haig’s message from the foot of the monument. In the presence of many British and French pfffpers,