TOPICSOF THE DAY.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20262, 3 August 1937, Page 6

TOPICSOF THE DAY.

The World’s Biggest Buyer. “ The theories that this country has become selfish, that wo are behaving improperly in the face of the world, will not stand any examination whatever. The truth of the matter is that Great Britain and after Great Britain the British Empire, is the best and most friendly neighbour that the world has. There is no country in the world which buys so much of the world’s commodities as does this country, with its so-called tariff restrictions. Last year we imported from foreign countries alone, apart from the Empire, £sl (i,000,00(1. worth of goods and produce. Who came next ? The United States, with a population two and a-hal£ times as great as ours, came second, but with £24,000,000 behind the total I have mentioned That shows very conclusively that this country is leading the world in the matter of absorbing the products of others. What is the truth, according to the Board of Trade returns, of our trade with the United States of America? Our imports from the United Slates last year were £03,300,000, a very substantial figure, and our exports to the United States were only £20,000,000.” —Sir Henry l’age-Croft M.P., in the House of Commons. If Japan Attacks China. “ Japan will practise positional warfare with the purpose of crushing the Chinese armies in a few decisive battles. China should avoid decisive engagements at all costs in the early stages of such a conflict, and should seek to utilise the strength of its masses to encircle the enemy and harass it with guerilla tactics. In a long war, Japan will not have sufficient man power and supplies to sustain a large-scale campaign. Another point in postponing any early pitched battles is that China in the beginning will be at a disadvantage in that her supply of arms and ammunition will be inferior to that of Japan. This may be compensated for later by capture of enemy equipment and importation of munitions from friendly Powers. Before our arms have been modernised we must make use of partisan warfare and every other dilatory method to Weaken the enemy. Only when we have adequate military equipment can we risk positional warfare involving decisive battles.” — Chu Teh, chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council and Com-mander-iu-Chief of the Red armies in China,