COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 23056, 7 September 1938, Page 9

COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS

THE CONFERENCE IN SYDNEY SAMOAN AND NEW GUINEA MANDATES DISCUSSED Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyngh' SYDNEY, September 6. At the British Commonwealth Relations Conference the general opinion with regard to New Guinea was that the question of handing back the mandate would depend largely on the action the other mandatories would take in returning their mandates to appease Germany. Replies to questions about New Zealand’s attitude towards her Samoan mandate indicated that New Zealand did not desire to hand back Samoa to Fascist Germany. The delegates made it clear when speaking about New Zealand that the traditional attitude in the Dominion. towards Britain was undergoing a change. -There was now realisation that New Zealand’s interests were not always identical with those of Britain. This was no indication, however, that there was any desire on the part <Jf the Dominion to weaken in any way the strong Empire ties. It rather indicated that New Zealand was growing up and had adopted the privilege of a grown-up of thinking more independently. NO MAORI PROBLEM. Delegates from Britain and other dominions asked several questions about the status of the Maoris, and it was made clear to them that there was no racial problem and that the Maoris enjoyed political and social status equal to that of Europeans. WHITE AUSTRALIA. On the white Australia policy there was general agreement that the policy was based on economic and not on racial or biological prejudices. It was essentially a national and not a political policy. CONDITIONS IN CANADA. On behalf of Canada, it was stated that there were definite racial problems as between the people of purely British stock and French Canadians. Only 50 per cent, of the population of Canada was of British descent, and the tendency was for that population to decline. From the economic point of view delegates were told frankly that Canada was not so dependent upon Britain as were some other dominions. Trade with the United States was actually more important to Canada than her trade with Britain. Upon the question of Canada’s attitude in the event of war, it was stated that it would be difficult to persuade French Canadians to take part in any conflict against a Catholic enemy country, or to endorse any alliance with Russia. Nevertheless, Canada was developing an air force as a strong measure of defence.