STATUS OF THE DOMINIONS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17294, 4 November 1921, Page 9

STATUS OF THE DOMINIONS.

THE ATTITUDE OF AMERICA. FURTHER STATEMENT BY GENERAL SMUTS. (Bt C»bl»—Pre« AssociationsCopytlfkU lEenter 1 * Telejrima.) CAPE TOWN,. November 2. General J. C. Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa, has issued a statement in connexion vrith his recent Speech, on. the question, of the status of the Dominions, with a view to correcting some misunderstanding of both his attitude and the constitutional point which had been raised. He points out that at the Paris Peace Conference the Dominions were given all the advantages of recognised individual States, and of consultation and mutual support in the British Empire delegation. "Our individual standing was unquestioned, while our team work made us a real, effective force. This was a great precedent, which settled the Dominions' international status, hut now, at the first, great international conference called after the Paris Conference, the Dominions, despite the fact that three of them are in the Pacific, have been simply ignored. At the "Washington Conference there will b© only a British delegation, in which the Dominions, as suoh, will not be found. Henoe, the Empire will not be represented in it? full authority as a group of States, and the full weight of the Empire will not be exerted." After denying that he desires to play a lone hand, General Smuts declares that hie wants the Pans precedent to be followed at Washington, and at every subsequent conference. He wants to see the Empire represented through its constituent, equal States. There is no other way of giving it representation. General Smuts says he haa no intention of striking a jarring note, but is merely standing up for that Dominion status which, to him, and, he felt Bure, to the nations of the Dominions, is the basis and- constitutional reality of our free Imperial Commonwealth He wishes the American Government to understand the Dominion standpoint, and to recognise the Dominion status as other Powers recognised it at Paris, with the whole-hearted advocacy and support of the British Government. He concludes by expressing a fervent wish for the success of the Conference at Washington. [Speaking at a banquet tendered him by the Pretoria Chamber of Commerce recently, General Smuts said that if the Australian and'* .New Zealand re-' presenitativea attended the Washington Conference without direct invitations a serious set-back might be given to the Dominion status. Tne whole world had recognised . them as equals, except America. If South Africa appeared at an international conference it would be in her own and not under cover of the British Government's right. He did not know whether Canada, New Zealand and Australia had received invitations, but he gathered from the reported statements of the Australian Prime Minister that they had not. America alone had raised the question of a new status for the Dominions by objecting to their independent voting power in tha League of Nation' 3. If the Dominions' representatives attended the Conference'without an invitation as part of the British delegation, and not in their own right, a very baa precedent would be set. The American challenge to the Dominions would be met in* a proper spirit.!