The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1911. THE TREATY-MAKING POWER.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 139, 13 June 1911, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1911. THE TREATY-MAKING POWER.

Tor the caute that Xaett asHttdnee, for the vraiia thai heeds reeUtaaem, Ver the future lit tho distance, Ani the good that tee can 6a,

A few years ago Sir Wilfrid Laurier 'was regarded throughout the Empire as the most advanced exponent ot Imperialism, and the most ardent advocate of colonial rights among the British statesmen of the day. Since then, largely because of the non-committal position that he took up at tho last Imperial Conference on several important questions, the Canadian Premier's reputation as an imperialist has suffered; but at least one of the proposals that he has put forward on Canada's behalf indicates that he is as anxious as ever to forward the interests of the Oversea Dominions even by means that seem to British politicians incompatible with the maintenance of England's sovereign authority over her dependencies. The peculiar attitude he has taken up has been strongly criticised not only in England, but in Australia. The "Sydney Morning Herald" cannot understand why Sir Wilfrid Eaurier should object to a Standing Committee of the Imperial Conference on the ground that it would give the imperial authorities a chance of interfering unduly with the Dominions; Mr. Hughes condemns the most important oE Sir Wilfrid Lauricr's proposals as "completely opposed to the i imperialistic ideal"; ai.d the "Standard" goes so far as to describe this resolution as marking a great crisis in Imperial policy, and pointing straight toward the dismemberment of the Empire. The proposal which -has caused so much perturbation in Imperialistic circles is Canada's motion un favour of conferring on the Dominions power to make treaties independently with foreign countries. It is true that this request has already been specifically and emphatically rejected. But many changes have taken place in the Empire sjnee 1895, when the Foreign Secretary officially informed tho Governments of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Capo Colony that any such concession was entirely impracticable. To -grant the colonies the power of concluding treaties without reference to England, "would be to grant them an international status as separate and sovereign States, and would be equivalent to breaking up the Empire into a number of independent States, a result which her Majesty's Government is satisfied would be injurious equally to- the colonies and the Mother Country, and would be desired by neither." But as we have said, England's Imperial policy has developed rapidly since then, anil Canada appears to think that tho time has come for going a step further. In 1907, the Foreign Secretary actually instructed the British Ambassador at Paris to assist Sir Wilfrid Lanrier in negotiating hiis commercial .treaty with France. But though Canada was thus allowed to conclude an agreement with a foreign Power on apparently an independent footing, Sir Edward Grey was careful to explain that his chief object in supervising the negotiations was to prevent the assumption of an independent status by the Dominion. The British Ambassador acted as a channel of information between Canada and the Home Government precisely as Mr. Bryce was supposed to act while tho Reciprocity Agreement was under discussion recently at Washington.

So far, then, whether in spite of or because of the remarkable development of the Imperialistic spirit throughout the Empire in recent years, the Dominions have not yet secured the right to deal with other nations entirely as if they themselves -vrcre free from England's control. And this is precisely what Sir Wilfrid Laurier desires to secure. He is prepared to limit the scope of such treaty-making powers to what be vaguely terms "colonial interests." But surely the whole trend of modern Imperialistic policy is in the direction of emphasising the close inter-dependence of all parts of the Empire, and the impossibility of benefiting or injuring one member of the Imperial family without affecting the others and tho whole of which they form a part. And beyond the difficulty of isolating any section of the Empire for the -purposes of- diplomatic negotiation lies another urgent question. If Canada, for example, assumes these rights, is she prepared to support also the duties with which they must be inseparably associated? Not long since, the "Times." dealing with this question, laid down the general principle that "no part of the Empire ought to have relations with foreign Powers unless it is prepared to face the full responsibility for its own diplomacy." It can hardly be expected that Canada or any other of England's autonomous dependencies should be permitted to act independently or the Empire unless and until it is able and ready to defend itself without appealing to England for aid in any crisis that its diplomacy may create. It is only necessary to state the. case to sec bow clearly such a course must, in tbe words of Mr. Hughes, "make for the disintegration of the Empire." To explain 'Sir Wilfrid Laurier's views, we -must assume that in bis zealous desire to assert the independence of Canada, he has fulled to grasp or appreciate the tremendous risks that such a course would involve; but he can hardly have expected that cither England or the other self-governing Dominions would accept a proposal so fraught with peril to every member of the Imperial family.