IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 10 November 1926, Page 5

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

DOMESTIC AFFAIRS. PROGRESS IN COMMITTEE FOItEIGN TREATY Di FFTC FT/11FJ8. UY CABLE— PBES3 ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. LONDON, Nov. 8. Another day or committee work at the Imperial Conference brought to fruition the preliminaries, of the past ; fortnight, though much of this is stsn confidential. , 'lhe inter-imperial- relations committee met this morning and .sub-commit-tees considered treaty procedure in the afternoon. The economic committee s report on customs, and valuations, was adopted. Oil pollution of navigable waters by oil-burning steamers adversely laffecting fisheries, was conclusively dismissed, and consideration completed. Consideration was given tt> questions arising out of the Brussels Maritime Lavv Convention, including hilts ol lad--3 °The Forestry Committee dealt in detail with the world’s timber supplies, particularly with regard to soft woods, which constitutes 80 per cent of constructional timber. Hie committee reviewed the programme of the quinquennial forestry conference, to be held m Australia and New Zealand during 1928. and suggested that the next be held in South Africa. The committee debated co-operative forestry research. The sub-committee on overseas settlement accomplished slight progress. While rapid headway is being made by the committees dealing with things within the realm of the Empire’s purely domestic affairs, .in most of which finality is likely to be reached next weekend, there are some subjects whereon, after three weeks debate, a decision is no nearer. This position does not arise from disagreement upon vital .points, but from the difficulty of finding formulas. This is particularly the case with the Ehipire policy on treaties. For more than a fortnight a legal sub-committee, of which a Canadian, Mr. La Point, is chairman, has been discussing the British memorandum thereon, with the result that to-day :it virtually found itsoh hack to the commencing point. The chief difficulty, of course, relates to British treaties with foreign powers such as the Locarno Pact, and the desire to, if possible, have a clause satisfying .Dominion apprehensions while consistent with the practices of foreign diplomacy. Whether it will be possible to achieve this object- is a matter of doubt in conference circles. It- is suggested that a definite solution may not be reached by November 25, when the conference is expected to end, but that it will, then be -agreed to cover the position in an explanatory general statement. This course may be adopted in relation to other matters whereon it is not easy to o-btaiu unanimity in declaratory motions. It is gathered that the matter of Dominion representation on the League of Nations Council has so far not been raised, and it is generally understood it will not interfere with the conference’s decision.' A matter of special interest to Australia engages the special shipping subcommittees to-morrow in the proposed acceleration of the mail services to and from Australia. It is gathered the matter will not be left wholly :in the hands of the Imperial Shipping Committee, as there is a desire among the delegates to- the conference to have the subject examined afresh, and apart from preconceived ideas, as was done when the present faster trans-Atlantic-services were planned. For this reason the matter will at first be examined by representatives of Great Britain, and Australia, with. New Zealand and India sitting as .interested observers. Difficulty is being experienced in defining a uniform policy on the nationality of foreign wives marrying Britons in the Dominions, some delegates contending that the sanctity o-f the marriage vows transcend every consideration, in the problem. it Is learned that the migration plans concerning New Zealand as now before an Imperial Conference sub-committee need a. good deal of alteration before they ean .be finally approved. It is understood they are at present in need of recasting in ian important- direction before they will be acceptable to New Zealand. Fortunately compared with Australia and Canada, migration plans for New . Zealand! are simple and straight- ahead. New Zealand does not envisage any great innovations, or sweeping changes, but a continuation of receiving immigrants to her utmost- capacity, and along the well, tided Tines which have -been, followed in the liasfc few years.