IMPERIAL APPEAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 7 January 1935, Page 3

IMPERIAL APPEAL

SURPRISE EMPIRE POLICY UNION JACK ELECTION PROGRAMME OF WORK BRITAIN IN AUTUMN I United Press Association- -By Electric Telegraph—Copy rignt) LONDON, 4th January. The “Daily Herald's" lobbyist says that Ministers are busy drafting the fundamental points of a surprise Empire policy which the Government hopes to spring on the electors in the summer Hi an attempt to win the general election, probably in the autumn. Tiie general idea of the scheme is that directly the King’s Jubilee celebrations are over, the Ministers will consult the dominion and colonial statesmen then in London with a view to an agreement on a programme of "Work at home and development in the dominions and colonies. - ’

In essence, the scheme is to lend large sums of money cheaply for all manner of public works, provided as much as possible fs spent with British manufacturers, especially of engineering products. When an agreement is reached they will probably precipitate a Union Jack election with the object of stampeding the country in favour of continuing the National Government. A campaign will be launched for more work resulting in Empire expansion, loans for the extension of Imperial trade, the conversion of dominion and colonial loans to lower interest, Eimpire migration, and the revision of the Ottawa agreements.

The Government’s organisers that the staging of a great imperial issue on these lines is the only way to siilipj the situation. Between now and the, jubilee there will be continual consultations \vitli the dominions regarding the revision of the Ottawa. agreements, which wiil be submitted to an informal Ottawa conference when dominion nuu colonial statesmen reach Loudon as the first step pi'; a new imperial electoral programmer '* v", ■' Sir Maurice Hankey, Secretary to the Committee of Imperial Defence, is bringing back a despatch case full of proposals for Empire development of defence, including the unification of the Australian railway gauges, for which considerable sums will have to be guaranteed by Britain. Tlie' Government’3 advisers believe that the country can be influenced Ly a broad imperial appeal, accompanied by a scheme to settle British families in tlie dominions. DOMINION SCHEME OF IMPERIAL DEFENCE DOMINIONS CONTRIBUTE (Received 7th January, 9.55 a.m.) LONDON, 6th January. Tlie “Sunday Express” political whiter affirms that Sir Maurice "Hankey submitted a dominion scheme of Imperial defence already worked out and discussed tlie same in the course of his visit. The scheme proposes that component j arts of the Empire contribute Alliance, personnel and equipment. The “Dispatch’' says that Sir Maurice Hankey is recommending strong air armaments throughout the Empire. The dominions are contributing to the cost. . i JUBILEEYEAR 1 ' \ KING AND THE PEOPLE NATION’S CELEBRATIONS VALUABLE VISITS (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, nth January. The Rt. Hon. Ramsay MacDonald, Prime Minister, in a New Y’ear broadcast cheerfully surveyed Britain’s prospects. Referring to the King's jubilee, he said that the nation’s celebrations would show the King that ho was no .'rmpdtfi: dweller, jo ..palaces, lint was enshrined in' the people’s,hearts. The visit of the dominion premiers would, enable the representatives of tlie new nations to be taken into the Home LandY; companionship of re,-'-joining Mr MacDonald added: “A formal imperial conference is impossible, but the visits will be most valuable in promoting an understanding, an exeb’angmg.views on Empire affairs.”