IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Grey River Argus, 31 July 1924, Page 5

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Another One IX SIDE TH It EE MOXTHS. (Aus. aud X.Z. Cable Assu.) (Received July <(l at 775,5 p.m.) IOX'DOX', July 29 .In flic House of Commons, flic Colonial Secretary, Mr .1. J|. Thomas, annuunevd that there will | H * ;( n Ih |ht‘;il Conference held in October. Mr Thomas's aiiuui’iiccnieiit of the (‘on f •runuu followed on .speech by Colonel Amcrv in which lie accused tin* Government Departments of England of tailing back on their old traditional attitude, not realising that a new chapter in British constitutionalism hud opened during the war, AN ACRID TORY VIEW. The Morning L’os. discussing the new Imperial Conierence, says: As Britain has just committed the folly of rejecting the unanimous advice of representatives of the Dominions, given in conference, we shall be surprised if the Dominions arc so forgiving as to enter anotner conicreiicc whose decisions may be treated in exactly the sumo way.” Air Thomas said: '‘ We promised the -MuHiiiiioas Hint tiieir representative at the present Allied Conference was not a precedent, we being desirous to make it plain to the foreign powers that. su<h a system of representation for the Dominions is unsatisfactory, and that ii must be altered. That is why we arc iu*. iting the Dominions to a Conference in October. 1 cannot lay the papers on the table at the moment, as the replies have nvi been reveixd, but there is every indication that the Conference will I<• welcomed, ami the Government want it to take place in order to explore the whole situation. We want to avoid the difficulties that we have had to deal with so far. ft is .imperative that the interests of the Dominions should he recognised and looked after. We : Iso want outsiders to understand that any domestic diffcicn’c.-' are not going to wun’ien us, because we are going to remedy them." Earlier in the debate, Colonel Amery said: ‘‘At the Paris Con lerence, the Status of the Dominions was recognised hot only among ourselves. Imt by the outside world .as equal to thtil of utlic-r independent nations. A ica- solution could best he found in making the principle of lie Biilish Empire dcle- \ gallon continuous, giving the Dominions i ii continuous say in foreign policy. ” ' Alter ail, th. y could i><>| haw dillrrent rlegro sof citizen d,ip within the Empire. Mr idovd George said he was glad that this subject ha I been raised, bocause it was of vital importance to the unity, strength, ami continued existence of the Empire. The war had made a i great difference. The sacrifices which the Dominions made from I’.'ll to I'JIS Were greater than any made by Britain in any war since the Napoleonic war, when the Dominions put a million men in the field, and these nun probably were the decisive facloi in what happened. It was impossible not to comply with the Dominions’ demand that henceforward I hey should be consulted in foreign policy, which commits them in such an enormous sacrifice. It. had been difficult to get the Departments to understand the full meaning of that change. The matter was most importtint when one considered Hie difficulties that their well-wishers in the Dominions have .11 always carrying the whole of their public opinion along with them on the Imperial issue. They in Britain should be careful not to gixe the slightest offence. A difficulty was the distance. Until that was scientifically shortened, the difficulty would remain. The Colonial Oftic- vole was (mined. The Daily Chronicle approves of an October Conference, though it says it is a belated decision. It should have been summoned before the present Eon don Conference, instead of after it. There was plenty of time if ATT MacDonald thought of it. The Dominions’ demand was entirely just and must be met.