DOMINION AFFAIRS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 24 June 1925, Page 5

DOMINION AFFAIRS.

CHANGES IN COLONIAL OFFICE

MADE FOR CLOSER RELATIONSHIP.

BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPY RIG ill LONDON, June 22.

The annual dinner held by New Zealanders in London, tile sequence of which has been interrupted since 1914, was revived. The High Commissioner (Sir James Allen) presided, and the guests included the Secretary for the Dominions (Mr L. C. M-. S. Amery), Lord Jellicoe, Lord Islington, Lord Liverpool, Sir Thomas Parkinson, Mr W. Pember Reeves, and the High Commissioners.

The Prime Minister of New Zealand (Hon. J. G. Coates) cabled cordial greetings, adding: “New Zealand stands four square with the Mother Country in all making for Empire unity. It will be my earnest effort to carry on the Imperial policy the late Mr W. F. Massey ardently followed.” Lord Jellicoe eulogised Mr Massey and commended his straightforward honesty and simplicity of life as an example to the hoys of New Zealand. Mr Amery, paying a tribute to Mr Massey, said the latter was succeeded by a statesman who could command the confidence of his fellow countrymen in New Zealand. He proceeded to make important reference to the changes in the Colonial Office, which he described as a step long due—possibly overdue. He detailed the process of evolution since Mr Alfred Deakin’s resolution was submitted to the Imperial Conference in 1907, and reintroduced in 1911. It did not then meet with the support of the Colonial Office, and was not pressed. Since then, however, the case for a clear division between the work of consultation with the Dominions and the controlling of the administration of the colonies had grown far more pressing. The Government had gone beyond the 1911 resolution, and established separate Secretaries of State, and although they were vested in the same person for purposes of convenience they might in future he held bv separate persons or some other Minister whose duties were not so heavy. He disagreed with the suggestion that the departmental aspect of the Dominions’ work should he added to the already overburdened Prime Minister. Ihe suggestion would deprive the latter of the assistance of a responsible Cabinet colleague, who would be able to keep Imperial issues effectively represented in Parliament and personally conduct relationships with the Dominions’ representatives. Mr Amery said he hoped that when the changes were effectively working it would be possible for him to visit Australia- and New Zealand during 1926. He suggested that the Dominions would eventually follow suit and delegate Imperial relations to a special Minister.

Referring to the difficulties in connection with adequate consultation, he pointed out that he had hoped for an Empire Conference on the Geneva protocol, but difficulties rendered it impossible. If problems could not be solved by personal consultation they must be solved in the best way possible toy correspondence, the British Government taking such responsibility as it felt was its duty towards the Empire after ascertaining as far as possible the views of every part of the Empire. If the great opportunity for stabilising the pence of Europe slipped away the Imperial Government would he responsible not only to the people of Britain tout to the whole Empire for possible dangers of war difficulties.