AUTONOMY OF DOMINIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 190, 11 August 1921, Page 5

AUTONOMY OF DOMINIONS.

THE JAPANESE ALLIANCE. MR. MASSEY'S REVIEW. LONDON, August 10. Mr. Mas ß ey, reviewing the work of the conference of Prime Ministers, said that several misunderstandings hud been removed, and the representatives had learned much of each other's and of the different points of view of the several countries within the Empire. At the commencement (here seemed to be an idea among small sections of the public in the Dominions that the representatives of the United Kingdom intended to interfere in some unexplained way with the autonomy of tlie younger nations. There was not a scintilla of truth in this.

The question of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty was thrashed out. He thought he was .justified in saying that the weight of opinion was that the peace of tlie world would most likely be secured by continuance of the present arrangement, unless a tripartite arrangement, could be agreed upon by Britain, the United States, and Japan. Ho had no hesitation in saying that something in that way would be the best tiling that could possibly happen.

He trusted that what the conference did regarding the mo3t important question of Empire communications would be followed by tangible results. Airships should be exploited, cable services cheapened, and wireless communication developed. There was also a need for faster shipping services with lower freights.— (United Service.)

The "Times," in a leader, referring to complaints from the Dominions of the inconvenience entailed by the absence of their Prime Ministers in London, says that there is substantial danger of a reaction in the Dominions, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, but meetings for consultation are indispensable.' and a way must be found to reconcile them with local precautions. The Prime Minister might possibly experiment with a meeting in Canada, or even Capetown might be tried next year, but at the best such a change would be no more than an expedient. Tlie real hope lies in the development of swift air travelling. ("Times.'")