IMPERIAL DIPLOMACY.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2715, 24 June 1925, Page 7

IMPERIAL DIPLOMACY.

COLONIAL OFFICE MOVES WITH THE TIMES. [By Electric Cable —Copyright] [Aust. and N.Z. Cable Association.] (Received Tuesday, 7 p.m.) LONDON. June 22. At a New Zealand Club dinner, Earl Jellicoe responded to an acclamatory toast. He eulogised Mr Massey and commended his straightforward honesty and simplicity of life as an example to the boys of New Zealand. Mr Amery, in paying tribute to Mr Massey, said the latter had been succeeded by a statesman who could command the confidence of his fellow countrymen in New Zealand. He proceeded to make an important reference to the changes in the Colonial Office, which he described as a step long due, possibly overdue, in the process of evolution since Mr Deacon’s resolution submitted to the Imperial Conference in 1907, and reintroduced in 1911. It <Hd not then meet with the support of the Colonial Oflace and was not pressed. Since then the case for a clear division between the work of consultation with the Dominions and the controlling and adminstration of the Colonies had grown far more pressing. Government had gone beyond the 1911 resolution and had established separate Secretaries for State. Although vested in the same person, for the purposes of convenience, they might in future be held by a separate person, or some other Minister, whose duties were not so heavy, >fe disagreed with the suggestion that the departmental aspect of the Dominion's work should be added to the already overburdened Prime Minister. The suggestion would deprive the latter of the assistance of a responsible Cabinet colleague, who would bo able to keep Imperial issues effectively represented in Parliament and Cabinet and personally conduct relationships with the Dominions’ representatives. He hoped that when these changes were effectively working, it would be possible for him to visit Australia and New Zealand, during 1926. He suggested the Dominions would eventually follow suit and delegate Imperial relations to a special Minister. In referring to the difficulties in connection with adequate consultation. he pointed out he had hoped for an Empire Conference on the Geneva Protocol, but the difficulties rendered it impossible. If problems could not be solved by personal consultation, they must be solved in the best way possible, by correspondence. The British Government was taking such responsibility as it felt It was its duty towards the Empire, after ascertaining, as far as possible, the views of evei-y part of the Empire. If this great opportunity for stabilising the peace of Europe slipped away, the Imperial Government would be responsible, not only to the people of Britain, but to the whole Empire, for possible dangers and war difficulties.