PEACE OR WAR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1144, 3 June 1911, Page 4

PEACE OR WAR.

A little reflection will show that tho approval given by the Imperial Conference to the declaration of London is of really enormous significance. We have many times discussed the Declaration, the substance of our criticism being that while it was an admirable thing for a neutral Britain, it' was really in some _ respects disadvantageous to • Britain as a belligerent. The prime fault of the code, from the point of view of Britain's belligerent interests, was the fact that foodstuffs and other "conditional contraband" destined for Britain would be liable to_ capture, since every port in Britain could bo regarded by the captor vessel as a "base of supply." Germany, on the other hand, could in of war rest easy about her "conditional contraband," since it would be sent to a neutral port and carried by rail to its German destination.. The question was, as. we said, which of Britain's interests were of the. highest moment—her belligerent interests or her 'neutral interests. The fact that Mn. Fisher and the other Prime Ministers, after their education in the principles of British foreign'policy, nave approved the Declaration, ( can only mean that they_ have been satisfied that tho Britain of the measurable future is a, neutral Britain. It is this which makes the discussion upon Mr. Fisher's motion so important. It is very satisfactory that the Declaration can now. go to Parliament with the endorsement of overseas approval, but it is still more satisfactory to know that that approval, given after a conference upon foreign policy, implies that Britain sees her way to a long peace.