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Hokitika Guardian, 22 September 1937, Page 4

The tide of Imperial unity had been ebbing ever since a year or two alter the war. said Sir Edward Grigg, speaking on the recent Imperial Conference in a Commons .debate. From the Washington Conference ''or a series of years it was plain that the forces which had shown such power and influence in the world took hold ol the British Empire, the forces of nationalism, and reduced its power for cooperation and interest in its existence as a unity for a considerable period. That national movement came to a climax in the conference of 1930 and laid the foundations of the Statute of Westminster. The second feature whicn has marked the ebbing tide of Imperial unity in recent years was the failure of trade co-operation. The main change in that respect was made b.v the Economic Conference at Ottawa in 1932. The third feature of the ebbing tide ot Imperial unity had been the blind movement toward complete disarmament. The report of the Imperial Conference could hardly say much about the actual discussions on that subject, but it was perfectly clear that the Dominions all realised the importance of doing what they could in their own spheres and of making cooperation easier it their Governments and Parliaments decided on co-opera-tion at any time. It. was quite clear that the world had taken note of that fact. Those who minimised ibe Imperial Conference should not forget that the attitude it adopted in relation to Imperial defence, so different from that adopted seven years ago. bad made a marked impression on the situation in Europe at the present time.