EMPIRE CO-OPERATION

Evening Star, Issue 21519, 18 September 1933, Page 9

EMPIRE CO-OPERATION

THE TORONTO CONFERENCE RAISING OF HIGH COMMISSIONERS’ STATUS SUGGESTED press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright TORONTO, September 15. The Australian delegates at the British Commonwealth Relations Conference to-day introduced the question of the creation of qn intra-Empire secretariat, with offices in London, to handle all foreign relations questions between Britain and the dominions. The delegates pointed out that while they favoured such an agency to act as an Empire Foreign Office they did not represent the unanimous viewpoint of their countries.

Considerable debate revealed that practically all the groups at the conference considered the plan not feasible. It was contended that there was a danger in creating such a body because once it was in existence there was a possibility that resident agents would be looking around for things to do which would bo undesirable. A further suggestion forthcoming was that if the High Commissioners’ status were raised so that they could act in a diplomatic capacity there would then be in London a group of commissioners who would be able to meet in times of emergency and make personal contacts between their respective Governments. Other delegates argued that if such a group were formed there should be nothing of a fixed nature about it. UNFOUNDED FEARS TORONTO, September 15. Fears that the Empire might be made an instrument for the perpetuation of the present economic system were voiced by a Canadian delegate of advanced political views. His views drew from the members of the British delegation a statement that, on the contrary,, the close association of the nations in the Empire might well lead to a closer co-operation between the radical political groups in the various Empire countries. GOVERNORS-GENERAL POSITIONS DEFINED. TORONTO, September 15. The conference considered the positions of the Governors-General in a new Empire ■ constitutional scheme. General agreement expressed the opinion. that instructions given to the Go-vernor-General of Canada as drawn up for use prior to the time when the dominions became equal partners with the United Kingdom were not only unnecessary but out of keeping with the new dignity attaching, tq the. GovernorGeneral’s office. A Governor-General now stood in the same relation to the Parliament and the Government of Canada as the King did to Parliament and the Government of the United Kingdom.