NOT REALISED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 31 July 1924, Page 5

NOT REALISED

4JB..CHANGES CAUSED BY THE WAR BRITAIN 1 AND THE DOMINIONS THE OCTOBER CONFERENCE ißy Blectrio Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.2. Cable Association.) "LONDON, July 29. In the House of Commons Mr Thomas's announcement of an Imperial Conference in October was followed by a speech in which Mr Amery accused Government departments in England of falling back on the old traditional attitude, not realising that a. new chapter in British constitutionalism had opened during the war.

COLONIAL SECRETARY'S SPEECH

DOMINIONS’ INTERESTS MUST BE LOOKED AFTER

LONDON. Julv 29

Mr Thomas, Colonial Secretary, said: ‘We promised the dominions that their representation at the present Allied Conference was not a precedent, being desirous to make it plain to foreign powers that such a system of representation of the dominions was unsatisfactory and must be altered. That is why we are inviting the dominions to a conference in October. I cannot lay the papers on the table at the moment as the replies have not been received, but there is every indication Clint, the conference will bo welcomed, and the Government wants it to take place in order to explore the whole situation. Wo want to avoid the difficulties we have had to deal with so far. It is imperative that the interests of the dominions should be recognised and looked after. We also want outsiders to understand that any domestic differences are not going to weaken us, because we are' going to remedy them. 1 ' Earlier in the debate Mr Amery said that at the Paris Conference the status of the dominions was recognised not only among ourselves but by the outside world, as equal to that of other independent nations. A real could best be found in making the principle of the British Empire delegation continuous, by giving the dominions a continuous say in foreign policy. After all, they could not have different degrees of citizenship within the Empire.

TRIBUTE FROM MR LLOYD GEORGE

DOMINIONS’ HELP IN THE WAR

LONDON, July 29.

Mr Lloyd George said he was glad this subject was raised because of its vital importance to unity and strength and tiie continued existence of the Empire. The war made a great difference. The sacrifices the dominions made from 1914 to 1918 were greater than any made by Britain in any war since the Napoleonic. W r hen the dominions put a million men in the field and these men were probably the decisive factor in what happened, it was impossible not to comply with the dominions’ demand that henceforward they be consulted in a foreign policy which'commits them to such an enormous sacrifice. It had been difficult to get departments to understand the full meaning of that change. The matter was most important. When one considers the difficulties our wellwishers in the dominions have in always carrying the whole of their public opinion along with them on the Imperial issue, we should be careful not to give tile slightest offence. The difficulty is distance. Until that is scientifically shortened the difficulty would remain. The Colonial Vote was carried.

PRESS COMMENT LONDON, July 29. The Daily Chronicle approves the October conference, though it should have been summoned before the present London Conference instead of after. Tfiere was plenty of time if Mr MacDonald had thought of it. The dominions’ demand was entirely just and must be met. The Morning Post, discussing the new Imperial Conference, says that “as Britain had just committed the folly of rejecting the unanimous advice of representatives of the dominions given in conference wo shall be surprised if the dominions are so forgiving as to enter another conference whose decisions may bo treated in exactly the same way.”