DOMINIONS AND BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25092, 25 January 1947, Page 2

DOMINIONS AND BRITAIN

CANADIAN DENIAL OF U.S. STORY (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9.45 p.m.) OTTAWA, Jan. 23. The Toronto “Globe and Mail” publishes a reply by Mr Arthur Meighan, who was Prime Minister of Canada at the time of the 1921 Imperial Conference, to the statement by Di*. Nicholas Murray-Butler, president emeritus of Columbia University, that the Prime Ministers of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and two representatives of India at a secret parley at Chequers after the first world war declared that they were prepared to withdraw from the Empire and set up an independent existence through revolution if necessary. Mr Meighan says there was no crisis on the subject of Dominion autonomy, indeed no difficulty whatever.

“Our autonomy in all essentials was as ample then as to-day,, and there was evidence on Britain’s part of complete willingness to concede the Dominions anything further in that direction they might desire,” said Mr Meighan. ‘‘Such a thing as the suggestion of withdrawing from the Empire was never mentioned in my hearing, and I am confident it was not in the mind of anyone.” Mr W. M. Hughes, who represented Australia at the conference, described Dr. Butler’s account of a near break up of the Empire as a fantastic skeleton.