NEW ZEALAND ATTITUDE

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 13, 17 January 1922, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND ATTITUDE

The Pact which it is proposed shall be entered into between Britain and France was mentioned . in the House of Representatives last night by Mr. A. S., Malcolm (Clutha), who asked the Prime Minister whether he had noticed that if they desired to do so the Dominions could contract themselves out of the Pact. He. suggested that it would be unwise to allow this, as the Empire on such matters should be one and indivisible. Ho considered it would be well if it was recognised .that the British Cabinet was for the time being the Executive of the Empire, and that, in foreign affairs, it should rule over the rest of the Empire, particularly as the British Government so carefully consulted the Dominions in every way possible. -He thought that New Zealand should indicate that it did not think the right to contract itself out of the arrangement should exist.

The Prime Minister regretted thai the member had not given him notice of the question, for it was worthy of more notice than could be given in an immediate answer.

The Leader of the Opposition suggested that ,the answer would require thought.

Mr. Massey said that as far as he was concerned his mind was pretty well made up. He was very strongly opposed to anything in the way of divided counsels in such conferences as, for instance, had just sat at Washington, or, for that matter, at Cannes. It was very important that the Empire should speak with one voice and with no uncertain sound, and some of the Dominions should not vote one way and Britain and the other Dominions the other way. He might shortly have the opportunity of letting the British Prime Minister know, if he did not already know, how he, as representing New Zealand, felt on the matter.