Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1924. IMPERIAL CONSULTATIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1187, 9 December 1924, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1924. IMPERIAL CONSULTATIONS.

There is a great deal to be said in support of the Right Hon. L. C. M. S. Amery’s statement that “if Britain expected overseas Ministers to make efforts to come to London for consultation with British Ministers, they must be equally prepared to go overseas to consult Governments, particularly the Colunial Secretary.” The one Minister of the British Labour Cabinet who appeared to take more j than a perfunctory interest in the relationships existing between Britain and the Dominions was Mr Amery’s predecessor at the Colonial Office, the Right Hon. J. H. Thomas. The latter gained distinction for himself by being the first Secretary of State for the Colonies who, while holding that ollice, thought it worth his while to go outside of Great Britain to study, First hand, conditions ill one of the overseas Dominions, by visiting, as a member of the British Empire Parliamentary delegation, the Union of South Africa. In doing so he struck a new note in Empire relationships, and, by coming into close touch with South African Ministers and members of the Union Parliament, must have ! gained much useful knowledge which j would have proved of infinite service to him, had lie remained in office, in ! his future dealings with the South AfI rieau Government. Mr Amerv is, however, the first Secretary of State for the Colonies who has openly expressed an opinion concerning the need which exists for the Minister,in charge of the British Colonial Office to go overseas to consult with the Governments of the several Dominions. The present arrangements for the holding of imperial conferences arc of a very one-sided character, and necessitate the periodical absence of each overseas Prime Minister from his State for three or four months at a stretch, and, in some eases, even longer. The suggestion that these imperial conferences should be held alternately in London and the capitals of the several Dominions does not appear to have been hitherto seriously considered by the Home Government, although it lias been mooted on more than ono occasion by overseas Ministers. There is, of course, an advantage in overseas Ministers meeting in London for conference purposes, be-! cause there they get directly into touch, not merely with the British Prime Minister and the Colonial Office people, but with the members of the Cabinet, and have, probably what is equally important, the opportunity of meeting His Majesy King George j V., and also of rubbing shoulders with I the great British public, and adver- j tising their respective Dominions and the opportunities awaiting those who may think of migrating overseas, j Dominion Ministers have done much to j acquaint the people of Great Britain with the greater Empire, which exists beyond the limits of the British Isles, and to correct the erroneous impressions which prevailed concerning it,

and the Empire States of which they are the representatives, and their visits to the Mother Country should not be abandoned. But, when that is said, the fact reihains that it is Very necessary that the officials in charge or Me British Colonial Office, alid particularly its Ministerial head, should have first-hand knowledge of _ conditions, both social and political, in the overseas States of Empire, and that they should have the opportunities and facilities for coining into contact with their Governments and peoples. Air Amery’s recognition of that fact may he accepted as ail indication that the Baldwin Administration, which is decidedly more sympathetic towards the overseas Dominions _ and States, and more anxious to maintain the Imperial connection than its predecessors, intends adopting a policy which will bring its Colonial Office and its heads into closer touch with the overseas portions of the Empire, find that it may even arrange for tile next Imperial Conference to he held either in Canada, South Africa, Australia or, possibly (though we imagine not very probably, the Dominion being so far away) even in New Zealand. Mi' Amery evidently recognises the necessity for more frequent consultations and greater unity of policy and purpose on the part of the Empire States, which is a groat thing ill itself.