IDEAL INTERCOURSE.

Northern Advocate, 7 May 1920, Page 5

IDEAL INTERCOURSE.

IMPERIAL DEFENCE COMMITTEE. CO-ORDINATION WITH LEAGUE. (Received 8 a.m.) LONDON, May 5. Iv rue House of Lords Viscount Haldane asked as to the Government's policy regarding the Committee of Imperial Defence and the committee's relation to the war staff, the navy, and the air force. He paid a tribute to the committee as tho most efficient way of bringing the dominions into consultation. The committee provided a roof under which overseas ministers could come without the slightest sense that they were sacrificing their independence. He recommended retention of the committee as an ideal organisation for affording intercourse and co-opera-tion between the army and navy, and as according more with the constitution of the empire.

Lord Curzon, replying, said that the committee was an advisory one and had no executive authority. It had thoroughly justified itself both before and during tho war. He denied that the war had found us unprepared. Our war work was not only superior to anything existing in any other country, but the actual degree to which we were prepared for all ensuing developments exceeded that of our ablest and most scientific foes. The committee was not extinct, but tho scheme of future imperial defence must be largely suspended until all treaties were drawn up. Tho committee's work would be co-ordinat-ed with the British branch of the League of Nations. It would be unwise to indicate too definitely the imperial defenco policy until after the weighty decisions at the forthcoming Imperial Conference. —Imperial News. —P.A.