THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1930. BUSINESS OF THE EMPIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20640, 12 August 1930, Page 8

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1930. BUSINESS OF THE EMPIRE.

The Prime Minister has shown a due appreciation of the importance of the forthcoming Imperial Conference by dealing fairly fully in the House with the main items of its agenda. There are some matters, as he suggests, that need not be discussed in Parliament until the conference has come to conclusions on them, and some on which opinions cannot be formed iwithout information, confidential or otherwise, to be given at Its sessions. But Mr. Forbes, within the limits imposed by these facts, has traversed the ground sufficiently to indicate the attitude he intends to adopt on the major issues to be faced. It is satisfactory that the present Government has no thought of departing from the path so clearly trodden out by its predecessors. This Dominion, as ever, is to give evidence of its loyalty to the Crown and goodwill to the Mother Country and the other units of the Empire. On the constitutional questions to bo reviewed, in the light of recommendations made by a representative group of experts. New Zealand as a whole is ready to agree to any legislative basis that is acceptable to the other members of the British commonwealth. Had it been left to this country to raise the question of what is meant by self-government within the Empire, it would never have been raised. It has hardly had even an academic interest, and certainly no practical importance. Elsewhere, because of different circumstances, it has been somewhat vital. Whatever may now be thought necessary, to make legislative enactments square with the new formula, will not be contested by this Dominion, so long as there is adhesion to the principle of Imperial solidarity. Concerning the more practical aspects of Imperial solidarity, it is right that attention should be given to the possibility of co-ordinating the activities of the several selfgoverning units. It is not to be expected that friction between them will not occur, whatever may be the safeguard of a common loyalty to the Crown and a widely scattered placing of them in the world. Contacts, no matter how geographically hindered, are . bound to increase. With the multiplying of contacts will increase the risk of conflict, and the proposal of a British tribunal, to be representatively constituted by the,, whole Empire, somewhat on the model of the Permanent Court of International Justice, and functioning in all justiciable disputes between units, is timely. The details of its founding, however, may be safely left to the conference. But on the matter of Imperial defence this country is unable to adopt such an attitude of easy detachment. Mr. Forbes says that in this we must be largely guided by the experience and necessities of the United Kingdom. Only to a limited extent is that wise. It may be taken for granted that, in its outlook on the present international situation, the Homeland will be alive to the risk of war, and in its realisation of dependence on the unhindered inflow of food and raw material from oversea British territories will take care of the ocean highways. But Governments there have not viewed the risk and the consequent necessity of adequate naval strength with equal concern, and from the oversea Dominions, for their own sakes as well as for the sake of the Homeland, there ought to be exercised ceaseless vigilance against slackening in what is an Imperial duty. So long as the Empire is held to be one and indivisible, this duty is to be shared. On this point, having regard to possible happenings in the Pacific, the Prime Minister has every reason to express the considered opinion of this Dominion that no cheese-paring policy should be adopted concerning the adequate equipment of the Singapore- base. New Zealand docs not stand alone as to this ; but, even if it did, that would be no reason for being silent about it. It is doubtful at the moment how much freedom will be given to representatives of the Dominions to mould a general economic policy. In spite of the calling of an Economic Conference at the same time and the announced intention of merging its sessions with those of the Imperial Conference, there has been a somewhat explicit statement by Mr. MacDonald that the British Government will not be prepared to allow unfettered effort to deal with fiscal affairs. If he should maintain this attitude, discussion will be little more than a beating of the air. Nevertheless, this should not deter Mr. Forbes from voicing New Zealand's adhesion to the principle of Imperial preference. A conference of the kind would be almost valueless without free ventilation of this question. It has the example of earlier conferences for devoting considerable practical attention to the fostering of trade within the Empire, and the circumstances of the hour make this a vital issue. Whatever be the pre-determined decision of the present British Government, the Dominions have a right to press their views. Among the economic questions of the agenda is one added by the present British Government to those arising from the last conference—that of bulk purchase by Governments, with a view to price stabilisation. Its introduction comports with the pre-determined attitude taken by Mr. Mac Donald, but on tins matter also there should be no hesitation to voice a contrary opinion. No amount of sophistry about foreknowledge of demand and better marketing arrangements can disguise the fact that this proposal is meant to hamper private enterprise, and Mr. Forbes has rightly refused to make any commitments ori it without the prior approval of Parliament. On its part, Parliament would do well to discountenance the proposal, whatever freedom it may be disposed to give the Prime Minister on many questions of which it has as yet insufficient knowledge.