UNITY OF THE EMPIRE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 62, 10 September 1924, Page 16

UNITY OF THE EMPIRE

DOMINIONS AND ALLIED

CONFERENCE

STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE

FOREIGN POLICY.

(FROM OUR OWN 'CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, 2nd August

Dominion representation in the discussion of affairs affecting the Empire as a whole was the- subject-matter of a debate in th« House of Commons this week. The matter became acute during the present Inter-Allied Conference, "and the temporary method of surmounting the. difficulty has not been entirely successful.' • The Colonial • Secretary frankly confessed this, and said the Government were- determined to alter the system. For the purpose of coming to a common understanding the Dominions have been invited to a conference which it is hoped to hold, in October. Mr. Lloyd George pointed out that tht question is one of supreme importance to Empire unity. The- war has opened up a new chapter in Imperial relations. After the sacrifices of the Dominions it is impossible to imagine that they are not.to be' consulted in, the foreign policy wliich commits them. He urged that we ought' 'to do everything to make all classes arid all races realise that the Empire is just as much i 'jf'cs as. ours,, and that the old policy \v deciding in Downing Street is gone for ever. .■..'. !■-. -

The subject has been giving the Government grave' concern. As-Mr. Thomas said, the fact that the 'Canadian Premier could openly discuss three alternatives, one of them separation, was disturbing. ;The" principle" of an effective arrangement for continuous consultation in all important matters of common Imperial'concern is frankly' accepted by tho Government, and it is;hoped to find a practicable method to give effect to' it ut the forthcoming 'conference. - - Mr. L. S.. Amery opened the discussion and, suggested the need for machinery by which the Dominions ■ could ba given an effective voice in foreign policy. .He pointed to the difficulty which had: arisen :>vith Canada, over the Lausanne "■ Conference, and thought it was a little unfortunate that so soon after that difficulty we could only devise makeshift arangements for the Allied,Conferonce which, was' now discussing the Dawes Report.' : ■ ' \- Mr. . Amery's object was. .to inquire whether it was possible for anything to lie added to.that'reply'a's'to the arrangements for a special meeting or as to the line of policy which His Majesty's Government would adopt. , The House would shortly adjourn,- and it might be that the meetings. would take place before !*- m^ again... He. thought Mr. Ramsay MacDpnald would agree that one of the most important landmarks in the policy of the British "Empire were those discitssions;.. which took place, at the Imperial/Conference in 1921 with regard to our relations both with regard toJapan and the United States. At the. Paris Conference the status of the Dominions was recongised by the world; at Washington the same course was pursued and the method was the same at the meetings of the League of Nations.' That principle should be carried-.-:out in matters of foreign policy at all times: The present conference had actually met before a makeshift arrangement with the Dominions was reached, and the panel system by which they were represented was: unsatisfactory. The: principle .of equal status was' being violated by, the United Kingdom having full .representation at. the conference, while the Dominions had only part representation through a panel. The Government "must not be more'tender to the! susceptibilities of foreign nations than to those of tho great . nations comprising tho Em-1 pirs._ Foregin countries must take . the British Empire as they found it:; Not so much the conferences, but -what happened in between mattered. Tho best solution might be in making .the principle of the British Empire delegation, which had-worked well at many conferences, continuous. The Dominions should have their, own special- agent to find out the international situation.. The Empire was an -indivisible entity. ■ :

THE DIFFICULTY OF DISTANCE.

Mr. Lloyd George regarded the matter as of vital moment for the unity, strength, and. continued existence of the Empire. "Anyone who has taken tho trouble to acquaint1 himself with ■ the disintegrating . elements which may exiK.t in parts of tho Empire knows perfectly- well that this is a matter of such moment that any mishandling might produce disastrous results to Empire unity. The war of 1914-1913 has made a very gieat difference. When, you get the Dominions 'putting , a million men in the field, 'and you realise that those men were probably a decisive factor in what happened, and when you put the question to yourself, "What -would have happened had they not been there?' tho answer fills you with dread. Then you say it is quite impossible that you should not;- comply, not "only in the'letter but in the spirit, with the demand of the Dominions henceforth- that, they should bo consulted on any foreign policy which commits them to some enormous sacrifice. (Hear,, hear.)

"It has been difficult, to get departments to understand the full meaning of that change. They liiivo to realise that a new chapter in the I/rit.ish Constitution was written in the war 1914-1918, and certainly a new in the constituents of the British Empire, which has been put on a totally different footing... The Dominions were,consulted, not by dispatches, but by the .gathering of their leaders -to . the council chamber of the Empire-'here)''l'think it is very important, when one considers some of the difficulties, that our woll-wishers in the Dominions have been always carrying the whole of their public opinion along with them on Imperial issues, that ws should be excessively careful,not to give tho slightest offence,, and that we should be exceedingly cautious not to give any handle to those who wish to make mischief in different parts of the Empire. "Therefore, we ought to do everything' in our power to get all classes, all races, all opinions, and all religions, inside the Empire, federate them, and make them feel'that it is just as much their Empire as it is om's.

"Mr. Amery suggests some kind of machinery, but I am not quite sure that it. is a question of machinery. Methods ought to be adapted to the conditions of the times. One great difficulty is, of course, distance, aiul until yon are able»by scientific means to shorten tJio distance that dilliculty will always remain. What the Dominions want to feel is that when we come to ■settle general directions of policy of tho Empire,' they should be called in."

JIB. J. N. TIIO]\IAS'S STATE 3\tENT.

---"Does not this.discussion prove Hint on the Empire question nil parties not only an unite bul arc equally devoted, and is il, a . good thing V "asked the Colonial Secretary. "1 come right away to Lhc ~ diflkuj-

ties. It is true that the Dominions gained this particular status during the war. You discussed it in 1917 fully and frankly, because the Dominions said, 'When wo are called on to come to the aid of the Mother Country with all the-risks, all the sacrifices of blood and treasure, we,.at least not only are entitled to be : consulted, lout you have no right 'to commit us unless we are consulted in advance.'. That surely was the meaning of the 1917 decision, and it was followed by Mr. Lloyd George's effort at Versailles to establish for-the first time in international affairs a definite place and status for our Dominions. Lausanne followed. Then we came on, and found this difficulty, and as evidence of our anxiety I cannot do better than quote from a telegram . I sent to the Dominions on 23rd June of this year on behalf of the Government, because I think it not. only expresses the Government view, but the view of the House of Commons as a whole :—-

DISPATCH TO DOMINIONS.

"You will probably have seen from Press reports of recent speeches of the Secretary of State for the Colonies arid myeelf, in Parliament, that we are concerned as to the adequacy of the present , system of consultation with other self-governing parts of the Empire on matters .of foreign policy and general Imperial interests. We fully accept the principle of the necessity for effective arrangement for continuous consultation in all • important ma'lters of common Imperial concern, and for such necessary concerted action founded on consultation'as the several Governments may, determine. ; We also realise that the action to be taken a-s the result of consultation, whether at or between Imperial Conferences, must be subject to the constitutional requirements of each country, but we feel as a result of our experience/since taking office that the system in practice has two main deficiencies.

'First,. it renders immediate action extremely difficult, moro between conferences on occasions when such action is imperatively needed, particularly in the sphere of foreign policy. Secondly, when matters under discussion are subjects of political controversy,, .economic, or otherwise, /conclusions reached at and between Imperial Conferences are' likely to be' reversed through changes of Government. Such a state of affairs leads inevitably to ineffectiveness. It also oaus es disappointment, and doubts are thrown on the utility of the'whole Imperial Conference' system. AYe .wind up by saj> ing) 'We should " like your views on these suggestions, and if you 'should ,beable to make any others they would be welcome. We ourselves are quite of an open mind, and are merely explormg.ithe situation with a 'view to finding a solution.' . There never was a more frank statement from the British Government to the Dominions, because with open hands we say come in and help us find a solution."

coimn;si jo>rr)ENCE to be ISSUED.

Mr. Amery : Tho Colonial Secretary has given the committee part of the document. I suppoee the whole of it will be published; - Mr. Thomas : .Yes. ' The whole of the correspondence will be published. I quoted it to show that immediately wo .were brought up against this problem ive took the only steps open to us. A TURNING POINT IN HISTOBY.

Sir J. Marriott (York, U.) was sure the House' had heard the statement of the Colonial Secretary with great satisfaction. : ■:; N Nothing could be better than the tone and temper in which the right lion.- gentleman had-treated the eubj'ect. , This, question of Dominion representation in conferences on ;for: eign affairs had reached a critical/stage. There was a time when all parties in the State looked to the'colonies becoming independent. In .1872" "The Times" advised the Canadians to ■ take up their freedom as their years of apprenticeship, were. over. 'Since: then there had been a rapid reaction in opin-ion-regarding the Dominions. , The dissatisfaction which the Dominions felt as to the conduct of foreign policy without consultation with them had led to periodical Imperial Conferences; and he regarded the Conference of 1911 as a turning point, in the history of the foreign relations of the Empire.

THE LETTER KILLETH.

Tlie "Morning Post" comments : "Mr 'Thomas proposed to hold a new conference in October. The'purpose, apparently, is tp. devise some satisfactory iDetliod of joint consultation between the Mother Country and the Dominions in regard to foreign policy. . We confess to entertaining rather chastened hopes of success in this direction. 'The letter Julleth, but the spirit givefch life." We may have the most logical and complete .machinery of consultation that can bo devised; /but unless we have a common'policy founded in a, common interest it will come to naught. The Mother Country has deliberately rejected, for party' political reasons, the considered"-conclusions of an Imperial Conference, which had attempted to lay,the.foundations'of an Imperial system "of-, trade.- .Without that common interest the various, parts of.the British Empire are likely to pull in different ways; The present Canadian Government, for example, sees no reason ■why'it should embroil the Dominions in European affairs. We. may disagree with that point of view, and, hope that it does . not represent the true sentiments; of Canada. But as this, country 'has just committed the folly of rejecting the unanimous advice of the representatives, of, all: the DominW give,! after deliberation in a Tonerence called togglher at great expend - t.iro of time:and troublef we shill .be :urpnsed-as We ll a^ delighlbd-if the pominiona. are so forgivir,| as to ei.teiinto another conference, SwW dec, o^^:--^ ,^e