AUSTRALIA AND DEFENCE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7449, 25 May 1911, Page 7

AUSTRALIA AND DEFENCE

By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. (Received May 24, 0-25 p.m.) LONDON, May 24. The Imperial Conference, was opened yesterday at the Foreign Office. Tim Right Hon. H. H- Asquith, Prime Minister, who presided, heartily welcomed the oversea delegates, and briefly defined tho scope of the Conference. The Right Hon. Lewis Harcourt. Secretary of State for tho Colonies, tho Bight Hon. Sydney Buxton, President of tho Board of Trade, and several other Cabinet Ministers were present. Tho proceedings were not open to the press. A crowd in the street cheered tho delegates as they entered tho Foreign Office. SOME OF THE DELEGATES Amongst the delegates and their advisers from oversea were the following : NEW ZEALAND. Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, Prime Minister. Hon. Dr J. G. Findlay, AttorneyGeneral. AUSTRALIA. Hon. Andrew Fisher, Prime Minister* Hon. E. L. Batchelor, Minister for External Affairs. Hon. G. F. Pearce, Minister for Defence. Mr A. Atlee Hunt, Secretary, Department of External Affairs. Mr G. T. Allen, Secretary, Commonwealth Treasury. Commander S. A. Petheridge, Secretary, Defence Department. SOUTH AFRICA. Right Hon. Louis Botha, Prime Minister. Hon. H. C. Hull, Minister for Finance. Hon. F. S. Malnn, Minister for Education. CANADA. Bight Hon. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister. •Hon. Sir Frederick Borden, Minister for Defence. Hon. L. P. Brodeur, Minister for Marine. The Conference sat for two and a half hours.