Evening Post. MONDAY. MAY 20, 1907.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 118, 20 May 1907, Page 6

Evening Post. MONDAY. MAY 20, 1907.

INJUDICIOUS DELEGATES. o "Speaking as one of the representatives of tho oversea dominions," says Sir Joseph Ward, in his fai-owd! message to tho British people, ''I nm satisfied that though wo hove not accomplished all we aimed nt, trar labours havo not been in vain, for the noble ideal of Empire unity is distinctly nearer and clearer than beforo •wo came." This is tv much moro hopeful, v much moro dignified, aud, wo believe, a much moro accurate, view of the labours of tho Imperial Conference than is conveyed by tho carping and pessimistic criticisms of which bo much has been heard. If wo aro correct, if, eschewing tho conventional platitudes which aro "custoinavy 0:1 those occasion*, wo aro still justified in holding that tho net result of tho conference will be a genumo and lusting contribution to tho welfare of the Empire, then again it is no conventional compliment to add that no inconsiderable part of the credit io duo to Sir Joseph Word himself. Tho daughter States which, both by their importance and the quality of their representatives, have figured most prominently at tho conference, aio Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Bub while Sir Wilfrid Lauricr's circumnpertion and caution have been such as to deprive him almost entirely of initiative, and Mr. Deakin in hii eagerness has adopted a dictatorial oncj censorious note which has quito belied his previous reputation ana eeriously marred the effect of his brilliant oratory and his .shrewd criticism, Sir Joseph Ward has boon working for the same ends as Mr. Doukin,- but in a much moro conciliatory fashion. Instead of- wasting time

iv girding at hie inability to overcome tho insuperable, ho has said his say, cait his vote, and then thrown his energies inlo tho positive work of securing an advance in directions ksi cumbered with controveioy. but vctj- little, if at all, leas important, Having- recently icviewed his Vancouver mail service proposals at Eoma length, we need say nothing moro cow than that though the extent to which j they may be practicable in the extreme ] form saggested by him is still unsettled 1 , his strenuous advocacy matt bs credited with having at oni stroke pluced it in ths forefront o"f great Imperil questions. Our cablo nciva to-dsy repm rs the rntliuciastic cend-off which "he rscsived at Charing Cross on 1113 departure for Ncv/ Zealand on Friday night, and in view of tho excellence of hw oeivico vre cannot supposs that liis gr:ciins at this cad of tho journey will be any leas hsarly. Though Sir Jossph Ward has said fjood-byc to ths country whero bo and hia colleagues have received sixh lavish hospitality, ths Australian delegates icmajn, and continue to harp on the string of fiscal preference with an unmeasured insistence which we fear is calculated to do both this and ether great Imperial causes a serious injury. A moro unfortunate selection than that of Sir Wil Ham Lynp to conduct a delicate diplomatic mission could hardly bo •cor.csived, and though th; Commonwealth authorities do not ycfc appear to have realised it, a campaign carried on by tho statesmen of oni country against tho settled fiscal policy of another, and from the platforms of that other, in a mission which for difficulty and delicacy it would ba difficult to surpass. Mr. Deikin "emphatically denied that the Premiers bad in tho slightest dogrco attempted to cmbarrasb the Government from party or political motives,' find wo can quite belisvo him ; but is it not a fact that hu nnd his colleagues aro now taking a hand in a s party warfr.ro of tlw bitterest posciblo desciiption i-i Uid Old Country? It is truo thrt neither of them has imitifad the flagrant indecency cf tho Commissioner of Worit3 in tho Capo Government, who has actuajly bein' address W whit 3»pa.ir3 to havo been an avowedly Co.-isorvutivo meeting in Suffolk. But, under whatever alias other meetings may bo held, it in surely beyond dispute that tarift reform h a burning party question in Great Britain, and that as such preferably tho whole question, but certainly its local aspects chould ll c religiously osche^-ed by ihoso who have tl«t 10 coun$. ndi ' 0n * P=rty p!atfcm i!1 At the con(ercr.co It was imposjiblo to play the Imperial g.-ms without to some extent touching the pirty game also, though even thero net nearly cnoaph ra.gnrd wr.« paid in the first instance to tho rxght of Britain to tho sains iiscal autonomy which the qoloDios themselves en- \°. v - „ B" 1 i*' ow th>!fc tho conference has ai^olved, whnt arc the Au^tra!i?n Minsters doing but making common cause with the party politician's of Gre-t Biitain who arc opposed to Frcctradc? Sir \/Uhain Lyno^ at my r?te, icdulcfs in no duwnisei. "Ho hoped things would po ailferfnt hcioro the next meeting. If the pro:erit Government did not niter its attitude, it would bs beaten." We have only to iraagins whnt tho str.ta of fcclicg^ would bo hero if n British Minir-tcr too c the Opera House to tell tho Wpr.l GoTcmnnnt thrt if it would not give tlia Untnh manuficturcrs riectr-tde it womd bo ba:-tea, in order to miacrclniid now giHmg tuese liclic-, ma-,tbc to tho I- fcetraders of tho Old Country, ?nd how proiuchehl to tho terlimt'ifc of IniparH unitr. Unlcs? tlio politiciars of crch of lha ttr.tr.3 of the Empire aro going to rr^tue a ligid tot-il r.bctincrcc from tlio '•■ i).x:-tv politic-) of tlw otlicr.;, the most, prommng of Twrciin] ichemcs wi'il proro to be tho most diuuptivc in their effects, j