THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, June 16, 1937. THE EMPIRE EXPECTS .

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23218, 16 June 1937, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, June 16, 1937. THE EMPIRE EXPECTS .

It would perhaps be suggestive of pessimism to write across the records of the Imperial Conference of 1937, “ Much attempted; little done.” There is a very real value in the periodical meeting of the Prime Ministers of the nations comprising the British Commonwealth, to discuss their common aims and possibly express their individual opinions upon questions affecting the welfare of the Empire and of their respective countries, that cannot be assessed in the number of unanimous decisions which are reached by them. But the summary published this morning of the reports which have been prepared by the committees appointed by the Conference indicate that, in certain material aspects, little has been achieved. The guarded statements of an official spokesman which marked the progress of the Conference deliberations did not permit the anticipation of much greater accomplishment. It early became clear that certain dominion representatives, among whom Mr Lyons is not to be numbered, had come to the Conference with highlyopinionated theses to propound, or alternatively with little resolution to make use of the mandate to frame an Imperial policy with which they lied been invested. To put it more plainly, domestic politics appear, to have had overmuch place in the minds of some delegates, and this has manifested itself either in an aggressive, non-co-operative attitude, or in an unwillingness to make any commitments. It is unfortunate —if, indeed, it is not a negation of all the purposes which may be served by inter-imperial conversations — that considerations of domestic affairs should be allowed to govern the viewpoint of some dominion delegates. The Constitution of the British Commonwealth recognises the absolute liberty of each equal nation to frame and administer its own domestic policies. But implied in the liberties which have been granted to them is the obligation of these nations, through their elected Ministers, to co-operate in the formulation of a policy that shall serve the mutual interests of the British Commonwealth of Nations. This necessarily requires some subordination of strictly nationalistic interests to the Imperial weal. It requires a measure of unselfishness in the member States and a capacity on the part of delegates to bow to majority opinion and on occasion to accept advice on international questions from those with more experience in the direction of foreign policy than may be possible to the most conscientious party man from different parts of the Empire.