IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18901, 26 December 1924, Page 7

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

REASONS FOR THE SUMMONS COLONIAL OFFICE EXPLAINS. REPRESENTATION OE CANADA. MARCH AN UNSUITABLE DATE. By iVlegrat/h--Press Association— Copyright i Received 9.35 p.m.) A. and N.X. LONDON. Dec. 2.1. With regard to the invitations to the Prime Ministers of the Dominions to attend a conference in London in May, the Colonial Office explains that while the Government is eagerly desirous of a conference, it does not desire to unduly influence the Dominions, which remain perfectly free to exercise preference of consultation by cablegram instead of coming to London.

The view of the Colonial Office is that this is one of those cases where personal consultation is supremely important. Furthermore, it marks a long stride of progress toward intimate inter Imperial relations concerning the Empire's foreign policy, being the first time in British history an ad hoe conference has been proposed by Britain upon a specific subject.

If it is held it will establish a preco dent, and succeeding Governments cannot ignore it. The reason March is suggested is that the Council of the League of Nations meets in the middle of March to receive international decisions for the acceptance or rejection of the protocol.

An Ottawa message states that while there has been no official comment, the fact that the Dominion Parliament will he in full session during March makes the suggested time for the proposed Imperial Conference in London inconvenient for Canada.