IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18766, 20 January 1923, Page 9

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

TIMES URGES EARLY MEETING. r'reea Association —By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, January 18.; : "• In a leading article on. the Empire’s foreign policy. The Times declares: “On all grounds it is of moat urgent importance that the Premiers’ Conference should meet in 1925, when a common policy could be agreed upon. There is no feasible alternative to allowing the British Government to carry out that policy, acting, as it were on commission, after consultation. No doubt the system of keeping, the dominions informed by cable despatches will be continued, and if the dominions require a closer and constant liaison by the presence in London of a member of the Government or by some other method, the decision will be welcomed ; but to maintain a united policy in the Empire it is necessary to have frequent meetings of the Premiers’ Confer-' ence. It is more necessary than ever in such a time as this of unsettlement and disorganisation, when crisis succeeds crisis and grave decisions must be taken every week. Moreover, the political changes throughout the Empire, which are a most serious obstacle to an early, conference, constitute one of the strongest arguments why it should be held, since the value of all other forms of communication between the Premiers is diminished by half if they are personally unacquainted. The grayer and more far-reach-ing the decisions which must be undertaken the more imperative it is that they should express the united views of the British commonwealth.’’—The Times.