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AUSTRALIA'S POSITION.
Mr. J. G. Latham's Review.
LONDON, April 9.— The Australian At
torney-General (Mr. J. G. Latham) said
in an interview here that Australia, by
means of the Federal Cabinet and produc
ers ana manuiacturers committees was
carefully preparing for the Ottawa Confer
ence and working out practicable steps for
mutual arrangements for furthering inter
Empire trade. She welcomed as a happy
augury the success of preferences to Bri
tain, which had already been given under
her new tariffs. Australia suffered severely
from the drop in the prices of her products,
but she had faced drastic internal read
justments in order to balance her budgets
and honour her obligations. The Common
wealth, under recent legislation, accepted
the unequivocal liability of all the Federal
and State loans, giving the bondholders the
fullest protection and security, but she
urgently needed a revival of trade, and an
improvement in prices. He believed that
Ottawa would provide an opportunity which
might not recur of working out mutual
schemes for marketing within the Empire.
The conference, Mr. Latham concluded,
would -succeed only if the importance of
the issues were really appreciated there.
Recognition of agreements must be based
on genuine reciprocity between Britain and
the countries of the Empire. 'We cannot
afford to let the conference fail,' he de
clared. 'If it does, the Empire may fall
apart into separate and possibly insigni
ficant fragments.'
Mr. Latham on behalf of Australia, paid
a high tribute to Britain's fine achieve
ment in balancing her budget, and the
manner in which she had again taken the
leadership in world affairs.
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