IMPERIAL CONCERNS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 93, 21 April 1911, Page 7

IMPERIAL CONCERNS.

DEBATE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS INTERNATIONAL SITUATION. SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION BY IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. j By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyrignt. v LONDON, 20th April. In the House of Commons yesterday, the Hon. Walter E. Guinness, Unionist member for Bury St. Edmunds, withdrew the motion of which he gave notice last week, that the present international situation should be discussed by the forthcoming Imperial Conference. Mr. Lewis Harcourt, Secretary of State for the Colonies, promised tnat no information desired by the oversea Premiers would be withheld. Mr. Guinness welcomed the proposal formulated by New Zealand tor the setting-up of an Imperial Advisory Council as a real step forward in the direction of Imperial federation. He doubted, however, if tha High Commissioners would be sufficiently closely in touch with public opinion, in the colonies. The Hon. W. Ormsby-Gore, Unionist member for Denbigh, supporting Mr. Guinness's remarks, said that befoi'D Australia's resolution regarding naval co-operation and the status of the Dominions' navies could be discussed, Sir Edward Grey should instruct the Premiers on the relation between Britain's naval policy and her foreign policy. Mr. E. Crawshay-Wilhains, Liberal member for Leicester, urged that thei existing Secretariat should.be developed into a permanent representative Advisory Council. Mr. Alfred Lyttelton, ex-Colonial Secretary (Unionist), declared that almost the whole strength of the Navy was concentrated at Home. Contingencies in the Far East might make it necessary to add a great many battleships to the fleet there in order to protect kh& Pacific. It was noteworthy that neither Canada, Australia, nor New Zealand had undertaken to join in any all-British wars. Replying to these arguments, Mr. Harcourt said it was always the Government's intention to take the over sea Prime Ministers into consultation on matters of great Imperial concern. Th© Government would proffer infor- ; mation, on condition "of absolute secrecy, and the Premiers woidd also be asked to attend a meeting of tho Imperial Defence Committee. HARDLY LDIELY.