EMPIRE AFFAIRS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10350, 13 March 1925, Page 8

EMPIRE AFFAIRS.

need FOR CONSULTATION

RECENT CORRESPONDENCE. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 12. ‘ The correspondence which has passed with the Imperial Government on the suggestion of the ex-Pnme Minister, Mr MacDonald, to render more effective consultations between the Bntis and Dominion Governments on important matters of common Impenal concern, has been published. Mr Massev’s reply was that he hg-d no objection to the appointment of a small committee to cany out the preliminary examination, but ultimately no suitable date could be found tor the proposed conference. ‘ At the time of the dissolution in October the MacDonald Cabinet held that nothing had happened in the British Parliament to prevent the Government going on with its Proposal but in a dispatch of Decembei 2 Mr Amery (now Colonial Seci et-ary) announced that the new Government doubted the advantage of pursuing the inquiry further. Mr Amery said that the present British Government was fully in agreement with the principles of consultation and concerted action set out by Mr MacDonald, but doubted whether some of his suggestions would improve the present situation. The Government- desired to avail itself of every opportunity for personal consultation with Dominion Ministers, or with such other representatives as the _ Dominion Governments might appoint. In conclusion, he said that there was a- pressing matter affecting the vital interests of the whole Empire on which the British Government believed personal consultation to be essential. This was the Protocol for the pacific •settlement of international disputes drawn un bv the Assembly of the League of ‘Nations and signed at Geneva on October 2.