IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 14575, 25 May 1911, Page 6

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

MR ASQUfTH'S ADDRESS. MR FISHER'S ASSURANCE. AUSTRALIA'S DEFENCE POLICY. t. CANADA HAS NO GRIEVANCE. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copjright. LONDON, May 24. n In opening the Imperial Conforenco Mr Asquith said it was a happy coincidence ,s that the time chosen for the Conferenco ." would enable the statesmen from the self--1 governing Dominions to take a personal * part in the Coronation ceremonies. 'llio :: Empire, was made up of countries that weio not geographically coterminous or even 0 contiguous It did not even draw its unifying and cohesive force solely from identity of race and language. It had its poli- * fical organisation, which by its mere existence ruled out the possibility of war bo--0 I ween imputations numbering something 6 I like a third of the human race. There e were two things in tho self-governing lh British Empire which were unique in the v j history of groat political aggregation.-. * First, there war, the reign of law.; and, second, n combination of local autonomy, * absolute and unfettered, with loyalty to ri the common head. In the early Victorian i ra there were two rough-and-ready solui lions of the colonial problem. One was | centralisation, or government from DownI ing street; and the other wan disintegraI thm, by which each community as it grew ; to manhood would without embifterment | start an independent existence. After '-' ! seventy yeans of Imjierial cvolntion, neither of thttfo theories eonmianded the faintest * [support, in any part of the Empire. Now '" | each intended to remain master of its ' | own household, and to remain units, but * I units in greater unity Then.' were p roll j posals on the agenda paper for arriving at 0 I some cktfv.r political union, in the shape of I —An Advisory Council.- | Without offering an opinion, he ventured i to olwerve that they should not lose sight of the value of elasticity in Imperial orI ganiriation. lie trusted that the Imperial " j Government would be able to offer accoptI able suggestions in regard to Hie eonstittii tion of the Colonial Office- regarding tho • segregation and concentration of work ap- ; propriato to the Dominions from the other ; work of the department. He referred to : tho far-reaeJiing results of the last Defence i ; CJoni'oivnee. and to the inauguration of tho , . Canadian and Australian Fleets, giving a , j further impetus to the spirit of self-rcli- ; ance. It was highly desirable to take , I 6tock together of the possible risks and ' i dangers; u> which they were exposed ui : common, and to weigh carefully and ade- ; J quately the reciprocal adaptivenoss of i-on- ■ i trilmtions they were ma Icing to provide i ' against- thorn. He believed that tlterc was i throughout the- Conference one spirit- and j I one purjwse—to make the Empire and all | its parts a more complete and effective in- ; j stnuuent for the furtherance- of liberty. I • —Naval and Military Matters-- j ! would be discussed by tho Committee of Imperial Defence, whero they would have • the, advantage of expert advice. ALo. it ! was probably desirable not to bring other I I technical subjects before the Conference ! I until they had been discussed by the Over- i ' j seas representatives and the Imperial de- J parttnents concerned. I Sir Wilfrid Liurier (Canada.) said they i might claim that the work of the last 1 Conference had been productive of mate- I rial and even important results. 110 represented a country which had no grievances and veiv few suggestions to make, as they i Mere satisfied with their lot. He approached his colleagues' suggestions with J an open mind, and recognised the truth of j the principle that the British Empire, could .'Mid ought to live in Imperial unity based on local autonomy. Mr Fisher (Australia) said he came to ! the Conference as. a whole-hearted advocate ! of a. conference Gain would accrue if they ; could meet not only in the centre of the Empire, but in the cent res of the other Dominions. He earnestly appealed to Mr Asquith to take some strong steps to remedy the grave abuse alfecting the- eomj merce of the. Empire and other countries in the shape o| the exorbitant Sue/ Canal ! chaises. He hoped the Government would ! allotfl the Dominions mote expeditious ac- | I ce.-s to trade reports from every part, of i the world. Referring to the defence ; scheme. Mr Fisher said that tins Common- J wealth desired to help in the preservation of the honor ; nil greatness; of the Mother Country. She would cheerfully co-opei-nte | with the Mot tier Country, while protecting ; her own shores. The Commonwealth also desired to assist in anything in the shape of international arbitration which, would preserve the peace of the world. Sit J. G. Waul (New Zealand) eiilogi.-cd Sir II Campbell Barinerman's initiate,iy wotk in the consolidation of South Africa, while, preseiving local autonomy. It was e.-.M-ntinl to make a slop forwiU'd if they wished io prevent race disintegration. He recognised the, necessity for elasticity in j matteis which might be the. outcome of i the ('onierence. ! I Mr Botha. (South Africa) said he was j gratilied that he was participating in the : Coni'eience. He was able to say that in j South Africa, where there had been such ' discoid, and where so much blood ha/1 flowed, concord and harmony now reigned. j They were inspired in hope and courage for the fill lire. j 1" E !•: LIN G A G Al N ST PP. ESS PUBLICITY. | LONDON. May 21. | Sir Wilfrid Lauricr moved and Mr Fisher j seconded an address of homage to the King, the motion being carried. Sir J. G. Ward, in moving in favor of the admission of the Press, referred to the difficulty of the public obtaining information about the last Conference—a difficulty which the Press were unable to control. Sir Wilfrid Laiirier said the hist Conference airangemcnr.s were satisfactory. The people of New Zealand were, as well informed as the people of 1/indon and Canada. I; the Pre.;s were admitted the deliberations would assume the ttature of a ! public discussion. It was necessary to prei serve privacy, and lo publish randls, not diliereucßs of opinion. j Mr Fisher sympathised with the tesoliilion, but said that if the Pre.-.s withdtcw when a particular subject was discussed public attention would be markedly drawn to it. He suggested that the confidential subjects should be separated from the reet. » .Air Botha opposed the motion. Mr Asquith suggested that Sir J. G. Ward should not press '.he motion. He appreciated thi reason for if, but said itmust be remembered that the Conference did not paitake of the nature of a. public meeting, and iic, usefulness would be impaired if the questions weie not discussed freely. The occasional exclusion of the Press would excite curiosity, and pictures ■ would fie drawn regarding conflicts within the Conferen.-e. | Sir ,1. G. Waul said that in view of ; ' the opinions expressed he saw no chance of j carrying the motion, which he would with- ; ! draw. < i j AN IMPERIAL COUNCIL. SIR J. G- WARD'S BIG REQUEST. ' THE QUESTION~OF POPULATION. I/INDON, May 24. (Received May 25, at 9 a.m.) ! i 'Sir J. G. Ward moved the institution of I : an Imperial Onincil, based on grounds of \ | Imperial unity and organised Imperial de- | fence, with equal distribution of the bin .' " dens of defence, the representation of the ; j i self-governing Dominions in the Imperial i t j Parliament for determining questions of 1

peace and war, foreign policy, and international treaties affecting the Empire. Sir Joseph said that the remarkab'o growth of tho Oversea Dominions required the gravest consideratiori of states-, men to prevent difficulties which might in future be almost impossible of settlement, but which might bo dealt with while the populations were limited. He believed ihr.t in twent-fivo years tho combined population of the Oversea Dominions would exceed that of the United Kingdom. Thote controlling tho Empire's destinies had considered the expansion units, and they were r all deeply concerned in tho maintenance 1 of somo loose fomi of federation. They 3 were now kept together by sentiment. The ' experienco of tho United States showed what tremendous changes might take place 3 in regard to nationality. He believed they 5 would have to faco somo such problem, 1 owing to tho attractiveness of the Oversea Dominions for settlement to people of a different language to their own. Unless tho question of emigration and immigration were treated Imperially, and anxious care taken to keep their own people within the ' Empire, their future strength might be ! dissipated, and the best of their popula- ; tion spread amongst alien countries. ! 'Die debate wa-s adjourned till Thursday. [The present population or the United ' Kingdom is not less than 45,000,000. Tho ' I white populations of South Africa, Aus-j } tralia, New Zealand, and Canada total not/' 1 more than 15,000,000.] I I