PROBLEMS OF EMPIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18954, 30 August 1923, Page 7

PROBLEMS OF EMPIRE

BRITAIN AND THE DOMINIONS. DIPLOMATIC RELATIONSHIP) PREFERENCE ISSUES DISCUSSED. Pitta Association —By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, August 28. The Round Table publishes a striking article in connection with the Imperial Conference, urging the necessity of 'returning to Britain’s traditional policy of avoiding entanglement in what the late Sir Wilfrid Laurier called the “Vortex of European Militarism. It serves no British purpose, the writer contends, that the Empire should be involved in attempts ■to stabilise the complex of hates, suspicions, and fears, which must continue while the people of Europe are divided into water-tight compartments, each determined not to co-operate with the other. Moreover, the British Commonwealth contains more people and territory than Europe itself, and it has not a foot of territory on the European mainland. it Britain is induced to join a European alliance it is certain tlxat the dominions would not consent to join with her. The dominions will no longer give Britain a blank cheque to do the nest that she can with foreign politics. They will regard themselves as bound to no po.icy to winch their Parliaments have not given their aside far as trade is concerned, Britain and the dominions must now decide whether they can survive as separate, self-contained fiscal units. It is for Britain 1 to consider whether it is not worth her while to secure a protected Empire market for her products in exchange for giving the dominions .a protected market for their food products in Britain. The effect of such a policy would be to sltnv up the development of new manufactures in tne dominions for a time, but it would stimulate the primary industries and draw population into the new territories, thus diminishing unemployment in Britain. Referring to Mr S. M. Bnice’s suggestion in connection with a resident Australian Minister in London, who should the given access to Cabinet documents, the writer points out the difficulty in persuading the leading dominions’ statemen to reside in London out of touch, with their colleagues and constituents. He says that a possible solution of the problem of Imperial diplomacy is that each dominion should develop a specialised diplomatic service, the primary duties of which would lie localised in London, but it would also move about Europe, consult British Ministers abroad, and keep the dominion Governments in touch with world problems. —A. and N.Z. Cable.

MR BRUCH TO VISIT WASHINGTON. SYDNEY, August 29. Mr Bruce has accepted an official invitation to visit Washington while en route from the Imperial Conference. —A. and N.Z. Cable.