COMMONWEALTH AND LEAGUE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 312, 30 November 1933, Page 12

COMMONWEALTH AND LEAGUE.

(By Arthur Davies.) The British and Canadian Institutes of International Affairs have rendered an extremely valuable service not only to. the British Commonwealth, but also to the cause of world peace by convening the unofficial Conference winch met for ten days in the middle of September at Toronto. Every country of the Dominions, including India, was represented, with the single exception of the Irish Free State—and the valid reason for her non-appear-ance. was the stress of her domestic political crisis. The delegates were in the main world-famous figures. From Great Britain, for instance* came Viscount Cecil of Chelwood and Sir Herbert Samuel, from Canada, Sir Robert Borden, from New Zealand, Mr Downie Stewart, from South Africa, Senator Malan.

The object of the Conference was a frank discussion of Commonwealth relations, and, starting from the Statute of Westminster and all that it implied as their foundation, the delegates aimed at discovering how the family relations of this wonderful unity could be improved in the way of consultation and co-operation. For their detailed debates and conclusions reference must be made to the reports they issued on various aspects of the problems before them. The one broad impression that can be recorded here is that, in their zeal for Imperial unity, they never lost sight of the need for the friendliest of relations with the rest of the world. Canada, naturally, on account of its proximity and close business relationships with its big neighbour, the United States, was perhaps the most insistent on the point that the bonds of Empire must neither deliberately exclude nor antagonise nations that were not fortunate enough to be the subjects of our common Sovereign. But other Dominions also with varying emphasis pressed tlfe same point of view. This nttitude of mind was, however, most clearly illustrated in the direct and indirect allusions that were continually made to that other great world organisation, the League of Nations. Some rather feared it as a rival, but the main body of opinion undoubtedly regarded the League and the Empire as complementary and co-operative in their working. This, of course, will be no surprise to those who already know what keen supporters of the League ideals, are to be found in the South African and Canadian Governments and in other parts of the Commonwealth. Perhaps the most remarkable proof of the League mentality that prevailed at Toronto is to be found in the fact that suggestions for improvements of Imperial iiiachinery were nearly all imitative of League of Nations machinery. One instance alone is sufficient. The Permanent Court of International justice has been such a success that the Toronto Conference proposes the establishment on exactly similar lines of a Court for the settlement of interimperial disputes of a justiciable character.