BRITAIN AND DOMINIONS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 6, 8 January 1925, Page 7

BRITAIN AND DOMINIONS

COMMON POLICY SOUGHT

LATE LABOUR PREMIER'S

EFFORTS.

(UNITED JgESS ASSOCIATION.—COPMIOHT.)

(lIDNII lUN CAUI.)

LONDON, 6th. January.

Mr, Ramsay Mac Donald's unavailing I efforts to secure a Dominions' Confer*euce to examine the adequacy of the existing system of consultation op matters of foreign policy of general Imperial interest are revealed in a White Paper now published containing correspondence on the subject between tljQ British and; Dominion Governments. ' ■ . Mr. Mac Donald, in a telegram on 23rd June, «xpressed the- Government's anxioty that fche Dominions were boing in* gdequntely consulted, and suggested i conference pf two representatives from each Dominion to consider the problem, Sir. Stanley Bruce's reply on 16th July, contained the fust suggestion for i the nppbintment of a liaison officer is i the High Commissioner'b office to deai with urgent foreign questions. He pointed" out that the machinery ensurjpg a common Empire policy already existed in the. Imperial Conference,, a change] from' which was neither necessary nor ; clesirnhle. : " • . FULLER ADVICE NEEDED Mr. Bruce, appealed for fuller regular advice on foreign affairs from the Imperial Government, pointing put that the greatest efforts should be made.to anticipate questions requiring urgent decision, instead of informing the Dominions after decision had been made.and acted upon. The views of-the Dominion Governments should be giyejl greater consideration, otherwise efforts to. formulate a common policy would be futile. Subsequently, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and Newfoundland expressed their willingness to participate in a preliminary conference. Mr. Bruce tabled, on 22nd August, that he still adhered to his views, but was prepared ti) co-operate with the others on 'the j principle that anything remotely tending to improve Anglo-Dominion relations was worthy of trial. Owing to delays in fixing the date of the Conference, Canada suggested an indefinite postponement. : , TIME NOT RIPE FOR CHANGE Mr. J. H. Thomas (Colonial Secretary under the Labour Government) on 13th ' September circulated the Dominions, Btating that it was -impossible to suggest a date, and Mr. Leopold Amery (present Colonial'! Secretary)' disposed of the matter in a circular on 2nd December, stating that the cbrrespondence disclosed considerable doubt as to the advisability of taking action in \the sense of Mr. Mac Donald's message. It wag generally agreed that the time was npt ripe to revive the idea of a special constitutional Conference, though ultimately, after hesitation, all-the Dominions had agreed to participate in a preliminary inquiry. The Government, . while, fully, in agreement with Mr. MacDonald's principles of consultation and concerted action, questioned whether an inquiry of the. nature suggested would lead to 3 practical result. 1 Nevertheless- it insists that persona! .consultation on the Geneva Protocol is .essential. "'.%.-:;'. ..I-';' ■ ■'■, '. , - *■: ■■-■_