THE ALLIES AND TRADE AFTER WAR.

AN ECONOMIC UNION. CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS.

Last night the Board of Trade issued for publication the recommendations of the Economic Conference of the Allies, held last week in Paris. The Conference was composed of representative statesmen of Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Japan, Belgium, Serbia, and Portugal, and from the text of its findings reproduced below it will be seen that far-reaching decisions were arrived at, directed to ensuring not only full co-operation during the war and the period of reconstruction, but a close and permanent economic union of the Allied States. The measures recommended for adoption are grouped under the following heads: (a) Measures for the war period; (b) Transitory measures for the period of commercial, industrial, agricultural, and maritime reconstruction of the Allied countries; (c) Permanent measures of mutual assistance and collaboration among the Allies. Under the first head are set out proposals providing for – 1. Assimilation of the laws and regulations prohibiting trading with the enemy. 2. Sequestration of enemy businesses. 3. Further measures for restricting enemy supplies. Among the transition measures to be adopted are: 1. The rehabilitation of despoiled territories. 2. Denial of most-favoured-nation treatment to enemy States for a fixed period. 3. Conservation of Allies’ natural resources and facilitation of the interchange of those resources. 4. Prohibition of importation or other special treatment of enemy commerce. 5. Enemy subjects to be prohibited from engaging in certain industries or professions in Allied countries. As regards permanent measures, it is laid down that the Allies must assure the independence of their financial, commercial, and maritime organisation, and to this end may control or subsidise enterprises, aid research, and the development of national industries and resources, and impose Customs duties or prohibitions. Other steps recommended are the improvement and cheapening of communications, and the assimilation of patent laws. Below is the full text of the White Paper: