The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-07-15
BRITISH TRADE
FUTURE HINGES
ON CONCLAvE
Conference at Ottawa May
Mark Turning Point in
Empires Fortunes.
SLIPS FROM PEDESTAL
High Tariff Wall Seems to
Be Only Way to Stage
Comeback.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Scripps- Howard Foreign Editor

WASHINGTON, July 15.-The
future of Great Britain, in no
small measure, will turn upon the
outcome of the imperial conference
beginning next week at Ottawa.
Beyond question, the fate of Brit
ain as an industrial nation is at
stake, and it was her industrial
leaderShip-the fact that for $50
years she was chief manufacturer,
banker and shipper to the world
| that made her the colossal power
she has been up to this time.
Now, she is slipping. No longer
is she supreme among industrial ma
tons. Germany, France, the United
States and Japan are her equals:
Russia, Italy and other countries
fast are catching up, and some of
her own dominionS have become
dangerous rivals.
| Today Britain is at the cross
roads. There seems to be only one
way by which she can stage a COM
plete comeback, and even that way
is StreWn with obstacles. Unless
she can build a high tariff wall
around her huge populous empire,
shutting out the rest of the world
while she develops a new trade
monopoly within, it looks very much
as If she were doomed to become
just another one of those nations
with a glamorous past, but a strug-
CLING future-one among many
fighting for share of world COM
merce.
Picture Is Gloomy
1t is with this somewhat gloomy
picture in mind that Britain will
go to Ottawa to dicker with Can
ada, Australia, New Zealand, South
Africa, the Irish Free State and
Newfoundland, now her equals in
law as well as. in fact. at an eco
nomic round table.
Former Premier Stanley Baldwin,
now Lord president of the coun-
Gil in the national cabinet of Pre-
mier MacDonald-in effect, associ-
ate prime minister of England-will
head Britain's important delega-
ton. He and his party are expect
ed to arrive at Ottawa on July 10.
One of the major difficulties
ahead of the complete realization
of Britain's dream of a new COM
mercial empire is the very real fact
that each of the dominionS enter
tains ambitions similar to hers.
Canada, to cite but one example,
| aspireS to become one of the worlds
leading manufacturing and export
ing nations, and is striding fast in
that direction.
Canada First" is her motto. After
her, Great Britain and the empire.
DominiOns Hold Whip
Canada and the other dominions.
not Great Britain, hold the whip
hand at Ottawa. Britain's trade is
more dependent upon the domin-
ions than is dominion trade upon
her.
Whereas members of the empire
furnished only 20 per cent of Bri-
tain's imports in recent years, they
consumed Al per cent of her ex-
ports. The dominions, therefore,
rather than Britain, will be in
position to demand concessions.
The bulk of Canada's trade. as a
matter Of fact, is with the United
States, rather than with the mother
country. During 1881, about a. per
cent of Canada's exports were pur-
chased in this country and only %
per cent in Britain.
Canada scarcely will 60 so far as
to kill the very fat American bird in
the hand in the hope of snaggine a.
problematical leaner one in the
bush.
Nevertheless, the United States
has much to lose at Ottawa. It is
almost as interested in what takes
place there as Britain and the do
mlnions. In 1881 the United States
supplied Canada with So per cent of
her imports, as against .Britain's II
per cent, hence any agreement
throwing more trade to Britain and
the other parts Of the empire will as
matter of course, cut into our for
eign trade.
Tariff Is Ace in Hole
Britain's ace in the hole is ber
own new high tariff. In 1880. when
the last imperial conference met at
London, she was free trader and
had nothing to offer the doninions
IN exchange for preference for her
exports.
Since that time she has set up a
schedule of duties, but thus far has
refrained carefully from APPLYING
them to incoming empire COM
modities. She now will inform the
dominions, therefore, that thew
either must show preference for her
goods or she will treat theirs as She
treats those of foreigners generally.
That is to say. their products win
have to pay the regular duties to
get into the British market. Some
sor- OF preferential tariff agreement
at Ottawa therefore fs re0o reIa,5 -