EMPIRE PREFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18952, 28 August 1923, Page 7

EMPIRE PREFERENCE

MR MASSEY’sT VIEWS. WELCOMED BY MORNING POST. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, August 27. (Received Aug. 27, at 10.40 p.m.) Tlie Morning Post publishes an interview by its correspondent .with Mr Massey regarding the Imperial Conference, in which Mr Massey emphasises the ’mportance of discussing Empire defence and Empire trade as correlated problems, and urges the necessity of the Prime Ministers of the Empire having direct access to the British Prime Minister as President of the Empire Conference. The Post, in commenting on the intesview, welcomes Mr Massey’s affirmation that New Zealand is willing to take her share in Imperial defence, and says: “Mr Massey states the case for Empire preference with unanswerable logic. The demand for this is now irresistible, especially as there is a Conservative Government m power ii, Britain, the policy of which is not parochial but Imperial.”—A. and N.Z. Cable. DEFENCE Ot THE EMPIRE. AUSTRALIA’S RESPONSIBILITY SYDNEY, August 27. (Received Aug. 27, at'll.so p.m.) Speaking at a luncheon prior to his departure for the Imperial Conference, Mr Bruce said it was essential that the dominions should take a share in framing the policy of the Empire. Referring to the lack of Australian defence, he said there was only one practical scheme, and that was an Empire scheme in which Australia must be prepared to play a part and no longer leave the burden, of expense on the shoulders of England. The Prime Minister refuted the suggestion that he wished to turn the great unwritten Constitution that bound Australia to Britain into a hidebound Constitution. Mr BrUce concluded with the statement that a true interpretation of the feeling of the people of Australia was their desire fob closer trade relations which would be mutually \beneficial to the whole of the Empire. Australia did not want a preferential tariff that would throw a further burden on Britain.