Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1938, Qupperneq 54

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LE NORD
As a matter of fact, these questions have been discussed at
later meetings, in January and in May 1938, at Copenhagen and
at Oslo, and certain recommendations have been adopted. Still
more important was the question of the continued validity of
the Hague Arrangement itself. Indeed, the arrangement was
concluded only for a single year, expiring automatically on
July ist, 1938, unless expressly prolonged.
Now, there were circumstances which undoubtedly placed
difficulties in the way of the maintenance of the Hague Arrange-
ment. "When Dr. Colijn last year presented his appeal to the
Oslo Powers, his thoughts went also, or perhaps even more, to
the nations outside the Oslo Group, particularly Great Britain,
the strongest commercial power in Europe. He wanted to see
an expansion of the economic collaboration established by the
Oslo Convention so as to include the Great Powers, one by one.
Probably he intended to get nearer to this goal when, after the
signing of the Hague Arrangement, he proclaimed that all the
advantages promised by the arrangement to the signatory nations
would be open to the great nations surrounding the Netherlands,
i. e. Great Britain and Germany. However, it became apparent
that these powers were willing enough to accept the advantages
offered, but they did not prove inclined to undertake the reci-
procal engagements, and so the Hague Arrangement failed to
reach the universal effect that was expected of it.
Another cause of disappointment was the fact that, after the
autumn of 1937, in several countries signs of a new economic
depression began to appear, and in such a situation the tendencies
of economic self-defence were naturally strengthening. This time
again, as after the conclusion of the Oslo Convention, the forces
opposed to international co-operation emerged and were under-
mining the work of mutual consideration. Particularly in the
Netherlands economic conditions worked for a retrogressive
movement, and when, in May 1938, the delegates of the Oslo
Governments met in Oslo to discuss the prolongation of the Hague
Arrangement, it proved impossible to overcome the resistance to
such a prolongation. On May nth, the delegates agreed on a de-
claration, which took over from the arrangement nothing but the
provision of mutual information about contemplated commercial
restrictions, and it must be remarked that this provision
was now strengthened by the formulating of fixed rules as to
the contents of information regarding the questions of customs