THE DECLARATION-OF LONDON.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1050, 13 February 1911, Page 5

THE DECLARATION-OF LONDON.

" BETTER OFF THAN BEFORE."

THE DOMINIONS NOT CONSULTED

By Telcsraph-Press AssooSation-Copyrisliti ■■ : f';!v'H'.': e ? , '. o Pi , l ; '* truar y ,,l0 '

Mr. M'Kinnon; Wood, Undersecretary for Foreign'Aifairs,'speaking at the Citj Liberal. Club, said that unless the rules embodied; in the Declaration of London were .ratified, the , development of the principles of international ■ agreement would be seriously, retarded. The Declaration! must be considered aj a whole.

,• "Regarding"the vital matter of block "acle," said ,Mr,;, Wood, "tho peclaratiou establishes the .British practice..': If food came in" British, merchantmen nothing was altered; ;f it came in neutral vessels we were better off than before As 4belligerents, we would bo gainers, oiving to the. recognition of important points in naval practice heretofore questioaed "

The Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. iewis Harcourt, in reply to a question put to him ii tho Honso of Commons by Mr. S. HV Butcher, Unionist member for, Cambridge University, etated that when the Declaration of London bad been forwarded to the Dominions, the. Dominions ; had not been invited to express their views thereon. ( Eeplying to Lord- Charles Beresford, Unionist member for Portsmouth, tho Firs't Lord of the Admiralty, .Mr. Beginald. Mlvenna, stated 'that • bis endorsement of ; the Naval. Prize Bill had not been appended with the Admiralty!s knowledge and concurrence ',]■. (Kec. February 13, l!o a.m.) :.•■;. , , .''■ ■ Melbourne, February 12. , ; Mr.; Fisher that the Common- , wealth! Government is opposed to the Def claration of London. Tho opposition is chieflfly Son commercial grounds.. .^,.; ■