Notes on the News Dominion Neutrality

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 8 November 1938, Page 4

Notes on the News Dominion Neutrality

Despite an official denial, a statetnent lias been repeated that ti e Union of South Africa intends to remain neutral as long as possible in the event of a European War.

Answering the question: “Has the British Empire been divided into a group of States —the United Kingdom, the Irish Free Stute, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa aud India, each with its dependencies, which collectively constitute the Empire, but each of which has distinct existence as a unit of international law?” Professor Berriedale Keith says “No.”

“There is singularly little evidence as to the views held on the subject by foreign Governments,” he says, “but what evidence there is, is unfavourable to the view that the Dominions are distinctly international units.” On the question of Dominion neutrality, he says: “The Dominions have never been under any obligation to participate actively in a British war in which they were not themselves attacked or menueed with attack by the enemy. . . . Normally all that a dissenting Dominion need desire would be a passive belligerency. . . .

“It has, however, been argued that the reluctance of one Dominion to agree to a declaration of war should suffice to prevent the King declaring war at all. Action should lie brsed ou common consent, and one negative should prevail. The contention clearly cannot stand; the United Kingdom is deeply implicated in European politics and cannot possibly be bound to persuade, for example, the Union of South Africa, that action is inevitable. . . .

“It is impossible for the Empire to insist on acting in certaiu matters as a unity, and also to demand that the parts are to be regarded as absolutely distinct. Foreign Powers cannot be expected to concede any such claim, nor do the Dominions other than the Union and the Free State manifest any real desire to establish it. . . .”

Parliament The session of the thirty-seventh Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be opened in State today by the King.

The history of Parliament, taken opart from its origin, begins with November 27, 1225. On that day the first assembly whose parliamentary character is uncontroverted met at Westminster. But the word “parliament”— which means “a talking,” and came from Italy—had been already in frequent use. Its earliest recorded application to a national assembly is found under the year 1246, and even after 1295 mere councils were now aud thou called parliaments.

The Parliament of 1295 was composed of 97 bishops, abbots and priors, 05 earls aud barons, 39 judges and others, representatives of the lower clergy, summoned through their dio-

cesans, and representatives of the counties, cities and boroughs summoned through the sberriff. Every section of the imputation that had political rights was in it, in person or by proxy. Taxation was at first tlip sole business that all its parts had in common. By slow degrees legislation and gene-

1 political deliberations came to be issed among its powers.

For a time also, the several parts held aloof from one another, and even when the pairing process began, the tendency was toward the combination af the barons and knights of the shire into one body, the citizens aud burgesses into another, while the clergy made a third.

But this did not go far. Within little more thau a generation the clerical and lay baronages had coalesced into the joint estate of the lords spiritual aud temporal (House of Lords), and all the lay representatives into the estate of the commons (House of Commons) ; and within a little more than fifty years the lower clergy, preferring to tax themselves in Convocation, had fallen away altogether. U.S.A. And Japan In China

Concerning Japan’s pronouncements >f future policy in China, Mr. Cordeil Hull, Uuited States Secretary of State, >ays that his country stands 1 y its rcaties aud for international law aud fair play.

The United States has for some years declined to assent that Japan is the sole arbiter for the Far East. It has held all along, too, that if an International agreement is to be modified, it must be by the consent of all the parties to it. It has declared that Japan could not rightly, of itself alone, “endeavour to make conclusive its will in situations where there are involved the rights, -obligations and interests of other sovereign States.”

Said Herbert Hoover, when President, of the United States: “I have projected a new doctrine into Interuationla affairs, the doctrine that we do not and never will recognise title to possession of territory gained in violation of the Peace Pacts which were signed by us.” It is this policy that President Roosevelt is carrying ou. On January 16, 1933, Mr. Roosevelt said: “I am . . . wholly willing to make it clear that American foreigu I>olicy must uphold the sanctity of international treaties. That is the cornerstone on which all relations between nations must rest.” Poland’s Constitution Poland is holding the second general election under the Constitution of 1935. The Constitution adopted by Poland in April, 1935, replaced that of 1921 which had been remade in 1930 after Marshal Pilsudski’s coup d’etat of May, 3926, and assumption of the dictatorship. It gives the President full power to appoint and dismiss Ministers, the head of the Supreme Court, and the comman-der-in-chief of the army; to decide on war and peace; to negotiate and ratify

treaties; to dissolve Parliament to will; to name one of the two candidates to he elected by vote to succeed himself; and to appoint one-third of the Senate. His term is for seven years, that of the Senate for six, aud of the Sejm (I»wer House) five.

the new electoral law political j parties were abolished. Candidates for ! the 208 seats in the Sejm (reduced frmu j 444) are selected by non-partisan com- 1 mittees consisting of representatives of municipal councils, chamt»ers of commerce, agricultural associations, labour unions, the legal professions, the universities and other bodies.

One-third of the 96 members of the Senate are appointed by file President and the remainder by 70.000 persons who have been decorated for service to the Stale, 200.000 having necessary educational attainments, and by 130.000 members of provincial councils, economic organizations and other stipulated bodies; these voters must be over 30.