23 JUNE 1950, Page 5

International trade is a strange affair in these days. Someone,

very reasonably, asked the Minister of Food in the House of Commons on Monday why 1,400 tons of chocolate had been imported from Czechoslovakia in the first four months of this year —at a time when British chocolate manufacturers are working well under capacity. " For the very simple reason," said Mr. Webb, " that we have to sell manufactured goods to Czechoslovakia." It may be simple, but what it comes to is that British chocolate manu- facturers are penalised in order that British makers of radio-sets or motor-cars or leather goods may profit. Rough justice, no doubt, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer would say.

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