WORLD AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 32, 6 August 1921, Page 6

WORLD AFFAIRS

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

AN OFFICIAL SUMMARY

PREMIERS IN THE CABINET.

(VNITIB MESS ASSOCIATION,—COfIRIdHT.)

(AUSTRALIAN ■ NSW ISAIAND CAULI AHOCIAXION.)

(Received August 6, 1.30 p.m.)

' LONDON, sth August. The official report of the proceedings of the Imperial Conference states:—

A series of important discussions on foreign policy, largely conversational in form, took place. The objects -were: First, that the members should gut their ideas into a common stock, and gain thorough knowledge of each other's point of view; second, that the principal questions of foreign policy should be examined by this ■ means from every viewpoint; third, that there should be a free and full discussion of the general aims and mejthods to be pursued. The discussions proved fruitful in all these respects; and revealed a unanimous opinion as to the main lines to be followed by British policy, and a deep conviction that the whole weight of the Empire should be concentrated; behind a united understanding and common , action in foreign affairs. In this context, most careful consideration was given to the means of circulating information to the Dominion Governments and keeping them in continuous touch with the conduct of foreign relations. I

DEALINGS WITH URGENT QUESTIONS.

It was unanimously felt that the policy of the Empire could not be adequately representative of democratic opinion throughout its peoples, unless the representatives of the 'Dominions and India were frequently associated with those of the United Kingdom. In considering and determining the course to be pursued, all the members of the Conference expressed a vivid sense of the value of the present meeting and a desire for similar meetings as frequently as possible. In accordance with the precedent created by the War Cabinet and the Empire Delegation to the Peace Conference, overseas members 1 were invited to attend, British Cabinet meetings dealing with Imperial and foreign questions of urgency. ■ One of the most impoitant of these was the Upper Silesian question, which assumed during the Conference an acute form, and was debate^ at each stage by the members of the Conference, whose interest in a matter so closely affecting the relations of Britain and France was incontestable. The main lines of British policy in connection with the solution of the problem were\ unanimously approved by the Conference. The problems of the Western Pacific and the Far East, together with the AngloJapanese agreement, were fully discussed, and! President Harding's invitation to the, Disarmament Conference was warmly welcomed by all the members. THE " PACIFIC CONFERENCE." In accordance with the suggestion believed to have been made by the Am^ erican Government that the Disarmament Conference should be preceded by friendly; conversations or consultations between the Powers who were principally concerned in the Far East and the Pacific, the Imperial Conference, anxious that for the Anglo-Japanese agreement there should be substituted come larger arrang.en.ents. between the three Great Powers concerned, and holding the firm conviction that later discussions on disarmament, to which they attached fcranscendant importance, could best b« made effective by a previous mutual under- j standing- on Pacific questions between j those Powers, devoted many hours to I the examination of how an understanding ' could be best arrived at, where the proposed conversations would be best held, | in what manner the representatives of the Dominions, who are so vitally affected, could most easily particdpa,te, and upon what broad principles of policy it was desirable to proceed. It was difficult for the Dominion Ministers, owing to the exigencies of time and space, to attend at Washington late in the autumn. On the other/hand, advantage might be taken of their presence in England to exchange views with the representatives of the other Great PoweTs who were invited to Washington. It was in these circumstances litat the idea was mooted that the preliminary conversations and consultations to which the American Government had in principle agreed should db held in London.

Wlien it transpired later that there ■was some misunderstanding as to the nature.of the preliminary conversations, the British Government, in an earnest J desire to remove any possible misconception, and to meet what they believed to be America's views at each stage of the impending discussion,, volunteered to attend a meeting on the other side of the Atlantic at which the agenda of the Washington Conference' could be dis- i cussed, and a friendly interchange ol views take place, in order to facilitate the work of the main conference. Later on the British Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary, together with the Dominion Prime Ministers, wew prepared to attend such a meeting if invited by the American Government. A REGRETTED DECISION. The Japanese Government signified its willingness, if invited, to participate in the suggested conversations. The American Government, however, did not favour the idea, which was accordingly dropped. This conclusion was viewed with the utmost regret by the members of'the conference, who devoted no small amount of time to working out an arrangement which they 'understood would be equally acceptable to all parties, and the abandonment of which could not, they feared, be otherwise than prejudical to the great objects which all had in view. At no stage had it been suggested that the ( results' of the consultation as contemplated should either anticipate or tie the hands of the Washington Conference. On the contrary, they held the firm belief that without a Pacific understanding the Disarmament Conference would find it less easy to attain the supreme results hoped for by all. The Imperial Conference made the proposal, being anxious to remove every possible obstacle from the path of the Washington meeting, which it was their desire to see attended with complete and triumphant success. DEFENCE AND OTHER QUESTIONS. Several plenary meetings were devoted to naval defence, the resolutions on which have already been cabled. In addition, a number of useful consultations were held between the Admiralty and the Dominion representatives, at which such matters as the local cooperation of such Dominion in regard to

the provision of oil-tanks and local naval defence were discussed. j A discussion took place on military' and air defence, on which the views of the General and Air Staffs on the principles which should be adhered to in order to secure co-operation ware laid before the Ministers.

The report adds no new information on the matter of Imperial communications, .beyond what has already been cabled. As regards the report of tho Imperial Shipping Committee on bills of lading, the Ooaifereiioe approved a recommendation on the limitation of' shipowners' liability by clauses in bills of lading, and recommended the various Governments represented at the Conference to introduce uniform legislation on the..lines laid down by the Committee. < . The representatives' of Britain, New Zealand, and India were ready to agree to a wider resolution recommending the constitution, under a Royal Charter, of a permanent committee to carry out the duties specified in the Shipping Committee's report-^-namely, (1) to perform such duty as may be entrusted t6 them under the laws in regard to inter-Imperial shipping applicable to the whole or to important parts of the Empire; (2) to inquire into complaints in regard • to ocean freights and conditions in interImperial trade, or questions of a similar nature referred to them by any of the Governments of the Empire; (3) to exercise conciliation between the interests concerned in inter-Imperial shipping; (4) to promote co-ordination in regard to harbours and other facilities necessary for inter-Imperial shipping. , The representative of- Canada, disagreed with this wider resolution, and Australia and South Africa reserved the matter for further consideration.

The position, as regards rebates was discussed, and strong representations were made by the Dominion Ministers in regard to it; but no resolution was passed, it being understood that the matter is still under consideration by an Imperial committee, •■ . , •

A resolution was passed that the Radio Research Board should be asked to investigate wireless telephony, and report of its development, whether private or; governmental; and that the PostmasterGeneral should furnish the Dominions with technical reports showing its position and possibilities.

The Conference agreed that the reparations receipts under the Treaty of Versailles should be apportioned approximately as follow :—United Kingdom 86 or 85 per cent.; minor colonies .8. per cent.; Canada and Australia each 4.35 peir cent.; New Zealand 1.75 per cent. ; South Africa .6 per cent.; Newfoundland .1 per c»nt.; India 1.2 per cent.

STATUS OF INDIANS. ' j In reference to the position of British Indians in the Empire, the Conference, while reaffirming the resolution of the Imperial War Conference in 1918, that each community of the British Commonwealth should enjoy complete control over the composition of its own population by the restriction of immigration', recognised that there is an incongruity between the position of India as an equal member of the Empire, and the existence of disabilities upon British Indians lawfully domiciled in some other parts of the Empire. ' i

The conference is accordingly of opinion that in the interests of the solidarity of the British Commonwealth, it is desirable that the rights of Indians to citizenship should be recognised. The representatives ot South Africa regretted their inability ( to accept the resolution, in view of the exceptional circumstances of the greater part of the Union. The Indian representatives, while expressing appreciation of the resolution, recorded their profound concern at the position of Indians in South Africa, and expressed the hope that by negotiation some way would be found to reach a more satisfactory position.