1940-02-02 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 2, 1940

Premier Rejects Call For Economic Dictator

BUT APPOINTS EXPORT COUNCIL

London, To-day.

AFTER ANNOUNCING in the House of Commons yes- terday that the President of the Board of Trade was establishing an Export Council to organise the export trade In detall, the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, sald the Council would have at its disposal the Department of Overseas Trade and the Industrial Supply Department of the Board of Trade.

They had to try and meet demands made upon them from many quarters, particularly from quarters which for- merly traded with Germany.

CHANCELLOR SUPREME

It was remarkable that the figures a more intense effort than was al- for December showed an increase over ready being made through the exist- the corresponding figures in December Ing machinery. the previous year, but perhaps this concealed the fact that the figures last year included the export trade Germany, which of course did not ex- ist in the figures this year.

to

Subject to the overruling considera- tion of the War Cabinet's responsi- bility, the Minister who must retain Referring to the objection that the primacy in these questions was the President of the Board of Trade was had to bear constantly in mind two Chancellor of the Exchequer, who not a member of the War Cabinet, Mr. Chamberlain said that what was the danger of the exhaustion of the things the danger of inflation, and not appreciated was that when ques-country's reserves tions affecting departments were dis-

of foreign cussed at the War Cabinet it was the

change. practice to invite the Ministers at the head of those departments to attend the meetings while those items on the agenda were being discussed.

SUGGESTION SCORNED

The War Cabinet had full opportun- ity of hearing whatever might be said on any side.

ex-

JAPAN'S SIX-YEAR NAVAL PROGRAMME

Tokyo, To-day.

A six-year navy rearmament plan, entalling expenditure of about £585,000,000, ia announced by the War Office and Navy Of fice.

It is stated the plan is neces- sary "for the achievement of Ja- pan's goal in China, as well as to cope with future developments in the complicated International si- tuation."-Reuter.

IN INDIA

GANDHI TO MEET VICEROY ON MONDAY

GRAF SPEE FACTS

A

MONTEVIDEO, TO-DAY.

NEW LIGHT ON THE SCUTTLING OF THE GRAF SPEE COMES FROM REPORT ISSUED BY THE URUGUAYAN TECHNICAL COM- MISSION, WHICH HAS REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT ESSEN- TIAL REPAIRS TO THE GRAF SPEE COULD HAVE BEEN MADE WITH- IN THE THREE DAYS ALLOWED HER.

were

Her damage did not make her im- possible to navigate and the Captain himself said that the engines undamaged. Apart from holes in the hull, damage sustained was mostly to the bakery, kitchens and fire-fighting plant.

In spite of this, the Graf Spee pre- ferred to scuttle herself rather than fight her way out of Montevideo,

London, To-day THE THAW

In the House of Commons yester- day, the Under-Secretary for India was asked about the political situa- tion in India, and about further dis- cussions, between the Viceroy and the Indian leaders.

It was not possible to imagine any other Minister than the Chan- cellor who could have the right or indeed the knowledge to make his contribution to the discussion and to point out to other Min- Isters what the danger might be

RAILWAYS GETTING In either of those two directions. The Premier pointed out the essen-

BACK TO NORMAL tial part played in the co-ordination of Mr. Chamberlain did not believe Departmental activities by the Econo-

The answer was that Mr. Gandhi

London, To-day. that in the War Cabinet or the other mic Policy Committee over which the next Monday, and

meeting the Governor-General Railway traffic in Britain, dislocat- Cabinet, when matters of high polley | Chancellor presided and with which State has

the Secretary of ed by the bad weather, is now run- were discussed, members of the Ca-Lord Stamp worked and by the Cen- make.

no further statement toning almost to normal. binet were so small-minded that they tral Priority Committee on which all

Router. could not rise above departmental the Departments concerned were re-to reconstruct it. considerations and take a more states-presented. manuke view.-Reuter.

HOW COMMITTEE WORKS

Business Men On The Council

Havas says that Mr. Chamberlain made the announcement in reply to the Opposition debate calling for the appointment of a Minister in the War Cabinet to direct the nation's eco- nomy.

Lord Stamp and other business men will be members of the Committee, togather with a Trade Unions official and the Minister of Economic Warfare.

The Opposition motion was rejected and the Conservative amendment, ap- proving the Premier's proposal, was adopted,

British Wireless says the Council will consist of leading business men, some of whom will give their full time services voluntarily to the executive work of organising Britain's export trade.

The council will also include lead- ing Trade Unionists.

In addition, Lord Stamp, Adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Economic Co-ordination, will be a member of the Council on which there will be representatives of the Treasury, the Ministry of Economic Warfare and the Ministry of Supply,

EXHAUSTIVE REVIEW

is

On the Southern Railway, for in- stance, trains are running to schedule almost without exception,

ex-

In conclusion, he said the War Ca- The only serious difficulty is binet, in dealing with these questions,perienced on the main line between He instanced how this Committee were governed by one paramount London and the north, and rallway proceeded in cases where the supplies consideration-would the proposed ac- communication with Scotland is still required by the Service Departments tion help to win the war. or for other needs, including

impossible.-Reuter.

of the export trade, were in shortage."

those

It might be for the Board of Trade to put forward the demands necessary to maintain

or increase the

export trade.

Every department of the Govern- ment was now represented on the Committee, including the Treasury, which had to see how the exchange position was affected, and the Foreign Office, to see that treatles with neu- tral countries were not infringed. It then had to be decided who was to go short and if there was a real shortage it was often possible to find a substi- tute material. At the end of one or two meetings it is possible to allo- cate amounts according to needs.

EXPORT NEEDS

The Government realised the need for increasing the export trade no one was more interested in that

and

than the Chancellor of the Exche- quer because it was only by increas- ing exports that the country could Increase its reserves of foreign ex- change.

To get a programme for the export trade as a whole was a complicated business.

a

When war broke out, they had, of The announcement was made by necessity, to concentrate upon very the Premier at the end of an ex-urgent matters such as the supplies, of haustive review of the machinery materials and to effect a reduction of which has been created for securing imports and to establish control. Na- co-ordination between the different turally these things had interfered Government agencies dealing with good deal with the export trade. But economic activities and for obtaining It was always, recognised that after considered and balanced decisions on the first phase of dislocation, it would the main questions of wartime eco-be necessary to make adjustments. nomic policy.

They had now arrived at the second

His answer to the arguments of the phase. Opposition speakers who preceded PARAMOUNT CONSIDERATION him was that the creation of a new There had been an investigation of Minister and a new Department the needs of the export trade and of could do nothing which would enture | the co-ordination necessary in order

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