THE RUSSIAN TREATY

Evening Star, Issue 18717, 20 August 1924, Page 6

THE RUSSIAN TREATY

POSITION OF DOMINIONS. MR BRUCE’S EXPOSITION. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Press Association. MELBOURNE, August 20. (Received August 20, at 10.55 a.m.) In the House of .Representatives, -Mr Bruce, speaking on the treaty recently arrived at between Britain and the Soviet, said the action which had been taken by the British Government was initiated immediately the present Government came into power, and the dominions were not consulted. Technically, this was not in accordance with the established practice of consultation with the dominions upon all questions of foreign policy, hut the Government of Australia felt that Australian interests were not affected by the treaty, and there did not appear to be any possibility of Australia being involved in the obligations resulting from the treaty. Mr Bruce said that the_ Commonwealth Government took no action to protest against the British Government s attitude, particularly as its subsequent actions snowed that there was no intention of making this action a precedent. With regard to the general treaty entered hi to, the procedure was entirely in accordance with the resolutions of the Imperial Conference. The Commonwealth Government had at all times full knowledge of the subject matter, and was kept fully informed of all the developments. The Commonwealth Government felt that it could take no action with regard to any commercial treaty that Great Britain might contemplate entering into any more than Australia would tolerate any interference by Great Britain in any commercial treaty Australia desired to sign. Dir Bruce added that the possibility of one part of the Empire being affected by the action of another part was no justification for interference in the arrangements of the self-governing parts.