THE BONDS OF EMPIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19203, 20 June 1924, Page 5

THE BONDS OF EMPIRE

SIR JAMES ALLEN’S SUGGESTION. COMMENT BY MR BRUCE. Pices Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURNE, June 19. In the House of Representatives attention was drawn to a cable message regarding certain utterances of the New Zealand High Commissioner, in which he made reference to grave unrest existing in Australia in regard to the abandonment of the Singapore base, and made certain proposals as to political relations between tho British and Commonwealth Governments. Mr Bruce, in replying, said that Sir James Allen’s utterance had been a general statement, and he did not think Sir James Allen intended it to be understood that he was giving expression to Australian opinion. . Speaking last week at a luncheon at the New Zealand section at Wembley, Sir James Allen said that the position in regard to the preference resolutions had caused general disappointment in the dominions and colonies, while there was also grave unrest in New Zealand and Australia as a result of the abandonment of the Singapore naval base scheme. He urged the desirability of removing the defect in the constitution of the Imperial Conference by securing that the Prime Ministers and other delegates should represent their Parliaments and the whole of their people. There seemed to be no reason why, after a discussion in Parliament or between the party leaders the representatives at the Imperial Conference should not be placed in a position equally as strong as the representatives in the war Cabinet. Sir James Allen also advocated the provision of better liaison machinery by appointing the High Commissioner to receive and give information to the Prime Minister or Foreign Office and ensure the rapid transmission of information and advice to his Government.