EMPIRE KNOWLEDGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18754, 6 January 1923, Page 7

EMPIRE KNOWLEDGE

THE LEAGUE AND FOREIGN POLITICS. SOME REFRESHING IDEAS. CAPTAIN R. BERKELEY’S ELECTION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, November 24. Captain Reginald Berkeley's election to Parliament seems to have been an indication that the people of Nottingham approve of the League of Nations as the substitute for the" old group system in foreign politics. Captain Berkeley, who was educated in Auckland and afterwards practised law in Fiji, has identified himself with,the League of Nations movement since the war, and his sympathy with the Liberals was based on the fact that of all the parties in the House it alone seems to maintain a- definite policy with regard to the League, and to see, in this organisation a means of, conducting the foreign policy of the nations. . Lord Grey of Falloden has made a definite statement to this effect. In response to invitations, Captain Berkeley went down to Nottingham, where the Unionist member, Mi A. R. Atkey, had been returned by a majority of some 7000 the Liberal candidate in 1918. He made the League of Nations his chief plank, refrained from personalities, and from attacking the opposing parties, and won the election with a slender majority of 21 over Mr Atkey. The case is unique for these elections, and, as already stated, Captain Berkeley attributes his victory to his League of Nations policy. Going ■ into Parliament at the age of 32, he will naturally have to maintain a fitting humility for some years to come, but ho has some refreshing ideas for which his life in the outskirts of the Empire is responsible, and his knowledge of and sympathy with affairs outside the limits of England should in time be of considerable use to the mistress of Empire Parliaments. ' FIJIAN AFFAIRS. In the first place, he has first-hand knowledge of the conscripted Indian labour In Fiji, and will be able to throw light, when occasion arises, on a subject of w-bich most Home statesmen are deplorably ignorant. He naturally knows something about the labour question generally in our Pacific mandated territories, another matter upon which people are greatly misinformed. In this connection Captain Berkeley is writing to the leader of the elected members of the Legislative •,Council of Fiji and placing his services at their disposal in any matters pertaining to them which come up for discussion in the House of Commons. This lie is in a position to do so long as he is a member of the Opposition, HIGH COMMISSIONERS IN HOUSE OF COMMONS. Captain Berkeley has several interesting ideas which, of course, can only be spoken of in the lobbies for some years to come. He looks forward, ho says, to an Empire Parliament in London with the English Parliament as a subsidiary _ body. In the meantime, however, he considers that the time is already ripe for tho High Commissioners and representatives of the Crown colonies', with one departmental secretary from each, to have a seat in the House, and with the privilege of discussing all questions which have an Imperial breadth. A more urgent matter which he has in mind and one which he hopes to put forward at no distant date is tho organisation of an Advisory Committee to the Colonial Office. There are in London to-day a great number of ex-Governors of Grown colonies whoso knowledge and experience are going to waste. These men, he maintains, should be formed into an Advisory Committee and consulted on all questions which the Colonial Office are naturally not in the best position to understand. These are refreshing ideas and certainly indicate some of the developments which are bound to take place sooner or later.