IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16168, 19 February 1913, Page 5

IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

REPRESENTATION OF OVERSEA ; ' DOMINIONS. PREROGATIVE' OF THE CABINET. [FhOSI OUB CORRESPONDENT.] LONDON, January 10. : A White Paper was issued last Friday evening containing tho text of a despatch from the Secretary of Stato for the Colonies to tho Governor-Gene-ral of the Union of South Africa and tho Governors of Now Zealand and Newfoundland, as to the representation of the self-governing dominions on the Committeo of Imperial Defence. In the despatch, which is dated December 10, 1912, Mr Harcourt states that he is forwarding by post a record of the proceedings at the Committeo of Imperial Defence on May 30, 1911 (during the Imperial Conference), and on August 1, 1912 (during the visit of the Canadian Ministers to London), dealing solely with the question of representation of the dominions on the Committee of Imperial Defence. The jtext of the despatch is as follows: —■ j ■ The matter arose out of a resolution : bv Sir Josenh "Ward on the agenda of the Imjperial Conference, asking that the High Commissioners of tho dominions should be summoned to the Com- j mittee of Imperial Defence when naval' and military matters affecting tho oversea dominions were under consideration. Tho unanimous view of all thoso present on May 30, 1911, was Hhat the representation of tho dominions should bo not by tho High Commissioner but by Ministers who wb-ild be to their own colleagues and Parliament, and at tho samo time it was'decided that a Defence Committee should be established in each d«minion which would bo kept in clo« touch with the Committeo of Imperial Defence at Home. The resolution ultimately put forward by his Maje'stv'a Government and accepted unanimously , by the members of the. Imperial Con- j feronce at the Committee of Imperial | Defence were as follow: (1) That one or more representatives, appointed by the respective Governments of tho dominions, should be invited to attend meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence when questions of naval and military defence affecting the oversea dominions are under consideration j (2) the proposal that a Defence Committee Should be established in each dominion is accented in principle. Tho constitution or these Defence • Committees # is a matter for each dominion to decide. IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT POLICY, j The Canadian Government having changed in the autumn of 1911, it was necessary, when Mr Borden and his colleagues visited England thi3 summer, to put these proposals before them, as they . were .of course unaware of the previous proceedings. Subject to consultation with his colleagues in Can- ' lida, Mr Borden provisionally accepted tho resolutions as passed, and stated that he saw no difficulty in one of his Ministers, either with or without portfolio, spending! some months of every year in London in order to carry out this intention. Mr Asquith and I had subsequently several private conversations with him, at which ho expressed the desire that the Canadian and other dominions Ministers who might be in London as members of the Committee of Imperial Defence should receive, in confidence, knowledge of the policy and proceedings of the' Imperial Govern- j ment in foreign and other affairs. Wo pointed out to him that the Committee of Imperial Defence is a purely advisory body and is not, and cannot under any circumstances become, a body deciding on policy, which is, and must remain, the solo prerogative of the Cabinet, subject to tho support of the House of Commons. But, at the name time, we assured him that any , dominions Minister resident hero would at all times have free and full access jto the Prime Minister, the Foreign I Secretary, and the Colonial Secretary for information on all questions of Imrrial policy. In a publio speech which made a short time ago I used the following words:—" There is ou the part of C#iadian Ministers and people a natural and laudable desire for a greater measure of consultation and cooperation with us in the future than thoy have had in tho past. This is not intended to, and it need not, open up those difficult problems of Imperial Federation which, seeming to entail questions of taxation and representation, have made that policy for many years a dead issue. But, speaking for myself, I see no obstacle, and certainly no objection, to tho Governments of all the dominions being given at once a larger share in tho executive direction in matters of defence and in personal consultation and co-operation with individual British Ministers whose duty it is to frame policy hero. I should welcome a nioro continuous representation of dominions Ministers, if they wish it, upon the Committeo of Imperial Defence; we should all be glad if a member or members of those Cabinets could be annually in London. Tho door of fellowship and friendship is always open to them, and, wo require no formalities of an Imperial Conference for the continuity of Imperial confidence." The foregoing accurately represents the views and intentions of his Majesty's Government.

From Mr Borden's public speech in Introducing -the Canadian- Naval Bill, it appears that ho accepts tho proposals which wo have made. The same offer is, of course, open to all the other ■elf-governing dominions if and when

they wish to adopt it, but tho proposal is not one of necessary or strict uniformity and can be varied in the case of each or any dominion to suit their wishes or the'special circumstances of thoir case. I Ehould be glad to know, at their convenience, whether your Ministers desire to adopt some such method of more continuous connection in naval and military affairs with the Committeo of .Imperial Defence in the United Kingdom.'