IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21146, 2 October 1930, Page 9

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

READY FOR OPENING SESSION. TWO OUTSTANDING SUBJECTS. TRADE AND ECONOMICS. (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, September 29. Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s welcome, then 15-minute speeches covering broad outlines by the Prime Ministers, will be the programme for the opening session of the Imperial Conference at the Foreign Office at 10 o’clock to-morrow morning. It is understood that Mr Scullin will speak on general lines, dealing particularly. with constitutional questions and interimperial trade. He will not approach, the details .of the economic issues till the,conference takes, up on. Thursday. That- matter is on the agenda for that day, and he hopes to give a reasoned statement of Australia’s, position, with suggestions for increasing the volume of .business. He is still devoting most of his time to interviewing privately those who are able to give first-hand opinions on Australia’s finances from their own London experiences. . INDIAN DELEGATE ARRIVES. (British Official Wireless ) '' . RUGBY, September 30. ‘ ’ The Maharajah of Bikaner arrived in London from Geneva yesterday for the Imperial Conference. He is a representative of India. Later his Highness will take part, in the round-table conference on the Indian Constitution.. THE ECONOMIC SECTION. DEPARTURE FROM 'PRACTICE. RUGBY, September 30. The economic section of .the Imperial Conference has agreed to receive a deputation from the Federation of Chambers of. Commerce of the, British l Empire .to discuss the resolutions on interimperial trade passed by the federation in its congress last May; It was repre--sented at the congress that in view "of the extreme importance of the subject at . present the- views of, the congress’ should be submitted direct to tile conference by a deputation; ■ This is a departure from previous practice, and if was acceded to as the result of consultation .between the United Kingdom;and dominion Governments. ■INTBRIMPERIAL TRADE. : 'FRENCH PAPER’S COMMENT. 'PARIS, September 30. Expressing anxiety-regarding attitude towards'Europe as the result of the Imperial Conference, Le Temps; says that the efforts to secure .closer. Imperial economic collaboration suggests an’ increasing deflection of Britain from her European. role, but it- admits' that' Imperial collaboration, is of capital importance for the moral greatness and material prosperity of the . Empire. , CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER. MESSAGE OF GOODWILL.. ' r (British Official Wireless,) . , ’ RUGBY, September 30. " r The Canadian Prime Minister (Mr R B. Bennett), in ah interview,this even ing, said. it was pot. so much mattersrelating to the.' cohstitutibnal. position that the different parts of the Empire had to To-day-trade and economics were all-important,, and it was through them that an. approach to closer relations had to ,be made. He said he brought"' a, message, of warm: goodwill from Cahadiahs, to’ the people of the .British Isles, .and .expressed -confidence that, the; important questions before the conference, would, be' dealt with ta the common, advantage, of all parts of: the ■ Empire. ; ■. • A GOVERNMENT RECEPTION. f PRIME MINISTERS AS GUESTS. . RUGBY, September 30. This evening the Prime Ministers were the guests of the Government af Lancasterl House, where later a reception, at which 1000 people-were present, was held. . ’ ■ f .... .... THE RIGHT. OF SECESSION. AIR THOMAS’S ; VIEW CRITICISED. OTTAWA, October 1. (Received Oct. 1, at II p.m.) Sir Thomas White, a former Minister in the Federal Government, in a letter which appears in the Toronto Mail and Empire, expresses the .opinion, that the view attributed, to the Secretary of State for, the Dominions (Mr. J. H. Thomas) that nobody questions in the least the right of any dominion to secede from the Empire is quite unsound, and. he says: “I would not like to see it pass without comment or criticism by the public or the press of Canada.” He says Mr Thomas ‘‘ makes an assertion which is not only inaccurate In itself, but he purports to speak for those of the overseas Empire whose: representatives may, and some of whom undoubtedly do, take a very different view.” ; Sir ; Thomas , asks: “ What is the validity of a declaration of the Imperial Conference unless it is enacted into a positive: law by the Imperial Parliament? The right to secede can be given only by the legislative authority that created our constitution; it cannot be conferred by the members of a mere conference without legislative power, whose declaration is not binding upon any Parliament—lmperial, Federal, or provincial—throughout the Empire:” AUDIENCES BY THE KING. MR FORBES INCLUDED. LONDON, September 30. (Received Oct. 1, at 8 p.m.) His Majesty gave audiences at Buckingham Palace separately to General Hertzog, Mr Forbes, and Sir Ronald Squires, each remaining half an hour. GOVERNOR S-GENERAL. SYSTEM OF APPOINTMENT. LONDON, September 30. There is already a newspaper kite flying on the subject of having an Australian as the next Governor-General. The assumption is that Mr Scullin will raise the question of the dominions’ right to tender advice to his Majesty on this and other matters. Speculators overlook the • fact that the-discussion’on the governorship was held in abeyance till Mr Scullin came to London and saw the King, which is unlikely to be delayed long. His Majesty, though he only arrived from Scotland in the morning, gave audience to Mr Forbes (Prime Minister of New Zealand), General Hertzog (South aFricaff, and Sir Richard Squires (Newfoundland) to-dar.

The Australian Press Association understands that Mr Scullin is likely to be given an audience before Friday, when their Majesties will give a dinner to the. Prime Ministers at. the palace.