EMPIRE CONFERENCE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 154, 1 June 1937, Page 7

EMPIRE CONFERENCE

LIKELY TO END BY JUNE 16. DEBATE ON SHIPPING. PACIFIC NOT MENTIONED. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received June 1, 10.40 a.m. LONDON, May 31. It is expected that the Imperial Conference will terminate on June 15 or 16, when the various resolutions of the committees will be adopted by a plenary session. This suggestion came from Mr Neville Chamberlain this morning, constituting almost Ins first act as Mr Baldwin’s ouccessor in the chair.

This morning's meeting of the principal delegates congratulated Air Chamberlain on Ins assumption of the Prime Ministership and welcomed hini to the presidency of. the conference. The remainder of the morning's discussion was devoted to a statement by Air Onnsby Gore (Colonial Secretary) outlining the resources and possibilities of the colonial Empire. All the other delegations participated. , It is understood that Germany’s colonial claims and other political aspects were not mentioned.

The shipping committee of the' conference met under the chairmanship of All->W. Nash (New Zealand) and considered the policy for the maintenance of an adequate mercantile marine under the British' flag as a matter of common concern to the Empire. The discussion concerning the implications of such a policy revealed many difficulties and considerable divergence ol opinion.- To-day’s discussions did not touch on the Pacific, as it is a separate problem.

FULLY INFORMED. N.Z. DELEGATES’ DELIBERATIONS. AVELLINGTON, June 1. A statement that the Government was being kept fully informed of the part played by the New Zealand delegation in the deliberations .at the Imperial Conference in London was made yesterday by the Acting-Prime Minister (Hon. P. Fraser). He said that from cable advice received during the week-end it was apparent that thework of the Prime Minister (Hon. M. J. Savage) and the ALimster of Finance (Hon. AV. Nash) during the past week had been particularly heavy. It was worthy of mention, added Air Eraser, that New Zealand hnd onl> two Ministers at the Imperial Conference,. compared with 13 from the United Kingdom, five from Canada., tour from South Africa, and three Horn Australia. Aloreover, the New Zealand Ministers last week were without tne assistance of the High Commissioner (Air AV. J. Jordan) who was attending the important special meeting of the Council of the League of Nations. That meeting and preparatory work ol the International Labour Conference were also taking the undivided at ten tion of the Minister of- Labour (Hon. H. T. Armstrong). . . . As leader of the Dominion delegation at meetings of principal delegates, Air Savage was fully occupied with study and statements on foreign affairs and defence. The Lemmon representatives were also on the committee considering constitutional questUMr Nash was chairman of the special committee on shipping, and the New Zealand representative on the committee considering airways and economic questions. . , . Air Nash, with Mr Savage, had also been occupied with discussions on constitutional questions, defence and torsign affairs. Mr Savage had submitted a statement to the conference on foreign affairs and defence. \t Thursday’s meeting of the principal delegates Mr Nash outlined the trade policy of the Government In addition to inspection of Imperial Air ways machines at Rochester Ml Savage and Air Nash had each attend ed nine conference meetings last week