The Hawera Star. FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 1924. THE PROBLEM, OF EMPIRE UNITY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 August 1924, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 1924. THE PROBLEM, OF EMPIRE UNITY.

Delivered every evening ny 6 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia. N^nnanby. Gkaiawa, Eltham, Patda, Waverley, Mokoia, Wbakamara, Oiiangai, Meremere, Fraser Boad. and Otakeuo Manutahi, - Alton, Barleyville, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake,

It may be because New Zealand is one oi the youngest of the Dominions and because she is not close to any other country that our people are so naturally British in their sentiments and so loyal to the Motherland and her ideals, but it is well to rote that there are discussions taking place between other parts of the Empire and the Old Country which indicate that the problem of unity of the Empire i* likely to become more difficult as time passes. For some time past, Canada has been anxious to have her status in regard to treaties defined, and to learn if the recognition of nationhood of the Dominions, as agreed upon in 1917 and clearly indicated by the fact that each Dominion signed the Treaty of Versailles and the Covenant of the League of Nations in 1919, has been altered in any way. Canada wants to know definitely what her position is within the Empire. The question ha 6 arisen over the ratification of the Lausanne Treaty of 1922. At Lausanne, in order to overcome possible difficulties with France, Britain and the Empire were represented’ by Lord Curzon and Sir Horace Rumbold only. The Canadian Government, according to Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, who was not Premier of Britain when the Lausanne Conference was held, “was represented by Lord Curzon at Lausanne with her full knowledge and consent.” The Canadian Premier has pointed out that Canada received different treatment at Versailles and Washington, and he lias raised the great and very important problem of Eimpire unity and Dominion status. The problem is of two parts—the status of the selfgoverning Dominions within the Em-

piie and the international status of the Dominions which, with Great Britain, . constitute, the Eimpire. Mr. Mackenzie King is by no means workiug against the unity of the Empire, but he is the head of a Dominion in which the national spirit has developed, and naturally it is his desire that nationhood having already been recognised there shall be no going back to the pre-war condition of the Empire being regarded as consisting of the Mother Country and her children. The children have grown up and their growth makes it necessary for them to have a proper voice in Empire affairs. Mr. Mackenzie King gives it as his opinion that “the aim of effective co-operation within the Empire would be best obtained by giving the Dominion full recognition respecting self-governing rights, and that any steps we take to make clearer our full rights to self-govern-ment will conduce to the .security and permanency of our allied nationhood within the Empire.” It is only to be expected that the Empire will be confronted with difficult problems concerning the status of its component parts, for such problems seem to be unavoidable when a great nation consists of a number of States, each exercising complete self-government and yet united under one King and Flag. For the Dominions to break away from the Empire—and they could do so if they wished to, for there is no power to compel them to remain within it—would be the greatest folly as every true British citizen know|. The solution of the problems which the growth and development of the Dominions are bound to raise is not to be found in breaking up the Empire into separate independent parts, but in devising some workable plan by which the nations remain united, but each of the self-governing parts enjoys equality of status. The mistake made at Lausanne appears to be that, in order not to raise difficulties with France, Britain agreed that the British representation should consist of two delegates, and it was not until after an agreement with France and Italy to that effect had been made that the Dominions were asked if they would accept the arrangement. By such action the Government of Great Britain gave the Dominions no choice, and the Eimpire as a whole accepted the appointment of the two representatives. It is to be hoped that the outcome of Mr. Mackenzie King’s request for clearer recognition of Canada’s relationship as a selfgoverning nation within the Empire will be a definite Tinderstanding between Britain and all the Dominions on the important question of status in international affairs.