FUTURE OF OTTAWA AGREEMENTS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 200, 21 May 1936, Page 9

FUTURE OF OTTAWA AGREEMENTS

House of Commons Question (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, May 19. ’['he Dominions Secretary, Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, was asked in the House of Commons whether invitations had been or would be issued to the Governments of the countries concerned in the Ottawa agreements to attend a further conference with a view to continuing those agreements in the same or another form.

Mr. MacDonald replied that the agreements between the United Kingdom and the Dominions concluded at the Imperial Conference at Ottawa in 1932 did not terminate on any given date, and each agreement continued in force unless at any time after February 19. 1937. six months’ notice of denunciation was given by either party to it. The most, convenient method of dealing with the questions arising out of the agreement was now under discussion between the Governments affected. In the view of the United Kingdom Government it would be most appropriate to proceed by way of discussions with tiie individual Governments as occasion offered, and it had brought this view to the notice of the Dominion Governments.