IMPERIAL WAR CABINET

Nelson Evening Mail, 19 May 1917, Page 8

IMPERIAL WAR CABINET

STATEMENT BY MY LLOYD GEORGE. . (Renter'# Telegram*.} LONDON, May 17. In the House of Commons, Mr Lloyd George said he desired to report to the House the very important decision of the recent Imperial War Cabinet. It was desirable that Parliament should be officially acquainted with an event which constituted a landmark in _the constitutional history of the Briu.sh Empire. He outlined the events which led up to and the proceedings of the meetings. The decisions reached would enable us to prosecute the war with increased unity and vigour, and would be of the greatest value when the negotiations for peace were discJussed. lhe fresh minds and new viewpoints the Gocolleagues had brought _ to bear on the problems had been an immense help- As far as the Government were concerned, they could with confidence state that the experiment had been a complete success. The Imperial been of such service not only to its members but to the Empire that it ought not to be allowed to fall into dis quetude. " He hoped an annual meeting would be agreed upon, and would become an accepted convention of the British -Constitution. . . After referring to the functions of the Cabinet, he said that it not attempt to settle what constitutional developments might evolve. The ques tion of perfecting the mechanism for considering Imperial and foreign affairs between the autonomous nations ot the Imperial Commonwealth was reserved for a special conference to be summoned as soon as possible after the war to readjust the constitutional relations or the Empire. He believed the proposal to perpetuate the Imperial Cabinet, including India, would commend itself to all the nations o£ the Empire.