PARTING OF THE WAYS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 116, 12 November 1931, Page 13

PARTING OF THE WAYS

J. H. THOMAS'S CHANCE v HEALTHY, DEVELOPMENT (Times Cable.) ' LONDON, 11th November. " The Statute of, Westminster implies a parting of the ways—one being constitutional freedom and the other entire independence,"' so Sir Fabian AVare, vice-chairman of the Imperial War Graves Commission, told the Empire Society's Bristol branch. •He urged tho adoption of tho former, thus enabling a real financial and adadministrative partnership such as already had proved workable by the War Graves Commission, and could be adopted by tho Secretariat of the Imperial Conference and ttie Marketing Board. "If Mr. J. H. Thomas takes that path and succeeds ho will be commemorated in history -with the late Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, as a builder of the British Commonwealth," Sir Fabian added. "The Times," commenting on the speeches of Profestior Morgan, Lord Atkin, Sir Fabian Ware, and others, expresses the opinion that the Statute of Westminster cannot bo regarded enthusiastically by any but pedants of Dominion status. It emphasises thafi Australia, and (

New Zealand only agreed because they were not desirous of opposing the other Dominions and Britain.

"It is already clear that the Statute will create many new constitutional puzzles," adds tlio paper. "Nevertheless, it must be recognised as the culmination of inevitable healthy development, and it clears the way for build(ing up a new unity on a basis of free, unfettered eo-ox^eration." • In July the British Dominions, including New Zealand, debated a resolution calling upon the British Govern-, ment to introduce the Bill —to be known as the Statute of Westminster —by which all formal vestiges of inequality are to be abolished between the legislative powers of the Parliament of Great Britain and those of the Dominions. This was part of the programme arranged at the last Imperial Conference in London. Commenting on the position as it stood at that time, "The Times" said: "In Canada, South Africa, and the Irish Free State there was no difficulty in obtaining approval for the proposed formal, renunciation of its ' former supremacy by what used to be known as the Imperial Parliament. In Australia and New Zealand there is no enthusiasm for the change, which is regarded as unnecessary from the point of view of Dominion autonomy and suspected as dangerous from the point of view of Imperial unity."

Professor Morgan referred in his speech to the Act of Settlement, the first point of which states: "That whosoever shall hereafter come to the possession of this Crown shall join in communion with the Church of England as by law established." The Act was, passed in 1701 and regulates the succession to the Throne of Great Britain.