CRITIC AND REPLY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 26, 30 July 1937, Page 9

CRITIC AND REPLY

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

SINS OF OMISSION

N.Z. POLICY PRAISED

(tniled Tress Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received July 30, 12.50 a.m.) LONDON, July 29. Criticism of the Imperial Conference, concerned not so much with its sins of commission as its sins of omision, was voiced by Mr. F. W. PethickLawrence (Labour) in the course of a desultory debate on Dominions I affairs in ihe House of Commons, i He complained that no far-reaching contribution had been made to world problems, no settlement on questions! between the British race and larger world interests, and no result as regards relations between the white and coloured races. It was a marking-time conference. He commended the attitude of the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, in holding that a real increase in world trade was impossible unless the standards of life in every country were raised. "In New Zealand," he said, "Mr. Savage and his Government have worked con- j sistently to raise the spending power, and I believe considerable progress has already been made." NEW ZEALAND'S EXAMPLE. Mr" G. L. M. Mander (Liberal), dealing with the report of the Imperial Conference, said he traced in it a tendency towards lip service to the League, but the New Zealand policy on the subject was refreshing and.realistic, and he hoped the other Dominions and Britain would follow 'New Zealand's example. Personally! he believed that the British Government in practice had abandoned the idea of relying on the collective system, but the future or the British Empire depended on an effective League. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir E. W.M. Grigg (Conservative) expressed the opinion that the discussions at the Imperial Conference went nearer to j realities than the report suggested, i "Indeed," he said, "if certain statements which leaked out were true, there was a quality about many of the discussions which all would welcome." The world'had taken notice of the fact that the Dominions realised the. importance of the defence of their own spheres. Mr. H. W. Kerr (Conservative) suggested that in each capital a committee be formed to implement Empire publicity, the committee to comprise the High Commissioners, Press, cinema, and broadcasting interests. . DOMINIONS SECRETARY'S REPLY. The Dominions Secretary, Mr. Malcolm Mac Donald, in replying, said that the Government shared, fully trie'desire for settlement of points in the dispute between Britain and the Irish Free State. "We are not disposed to be too rigid in our consideration of these questions," he said. The Government was continuing consultation with the Dominions with a view to helping shipping. Mr. Mac Donald reviewed the position ,in regard to the South African protectorates, and said that the Government abided by its pledges that a transfer would not occur until the wishes of the local populations had been carefully considered and until Parliament had had an opportunity of expressing its views. A communication to General Hertzog, the South African Prime Minister, was . being drafted dealing with the whole question. , Finally Mr. Mac Donald described 1937 as a historical Imperial year for the British Commonwealth of Nations, demonstrating that co-operation between free and equal nations was an attainable ideal.