A licensing system for imports from other than Empire Countries, which was inaugurated in May 1936, brought about trade difficulties with the United States and Japan. This licensing system affected motor chassis from the United States and cotton and rayon piece goods from Japan. Japanese retaliation was more vigorous than that of the United States, since Japan always bought more from Australia than she sold to her. Next io the United Kingdom Japan was the largest buyer of Australian Wool. The Japanese wool buyers boycotted ihe wool sales and the Japanese government practically forbade the import of Australian products. After six months a compromise was reached. It is evident that this particular trade dispute has led to a new method of formulating trade policy, so that political as well as purely statistical considerations will have weight. A The idea underlying the discussion of Australia's foreign policy is the interdependence of the Dominion and Brita Academic and unrealistic. No one should count, perhaps, upon Austra-Tias inevitable or automatic participation in a British war were the option of neutrality offered her, but only in an extraordinary occurrence of circumstances is it likely that the option Would be offered or accepted.
The book closes with twenty-five tables of statistics on such subjects as public debt, revenues expenditure, immigration, racial origins, birth-rate.
Mr. Harris has succeeded admirably in his survey of Australia, which together with the five special studies on Population, Economic Policy, Australia in the British Commonwealth, Political and Strategic Policies, Australia and the Pacific, will present timely and valuable material for those interested not only in Australia, but in the larger question of the British Commonwealth.—r.M.n.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.