“A FAMILY GATHERING”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21145, 1 October 1930, Page 7

“A FAMILY GATHERING”

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. OPENING CEREMONY TO-DAY. WIDE HELD OF DISCUSSION. SDL PRIME MINISTERS PRESENT. (Brltlsb Official Wireless J ..(United .Press Association.) '- (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) RUGBY, September 29; With the return from Geneva of the Foreign Secretary (Mr - Arthur Henderson ) all ’ the ■ United ’ Kingdom delegates to the - Imperial Conference- are now in London. . This, will be the first occasion on which a. British Labour Government has participated in an Imperial Conference. 'Four 'years ago., when the last conference was held, Mr Baldwin was in power. • •• • •' The; Irish. Free State delegation will arrive, ,to : day and the Canadian delegation to-morrow. At Wednesday’s opening Ministers (ineluding- six Prime. Ministers) from eight countries, separated at their widest points, by 15,000 miles, will have assembled to discuss divers questions of common inter-. . estoa such matters as interimperial relations, foreign policjv and defence and economic problems. The delegates represent the - United Kingdom, the Irish Free State, Australia,, Canada, New .Zealand, India, South Africa, and Newfoundland. , Mr MacDonald will preside and will deliver the inaugural address at Wednesday’s opening. - The proceedings will be private, a full repori being issued; afterwards. Most of the. conference’s ■work will be ‘ done by committees ap- . pointed to-consider specific,-subjects. •