IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Otago Witness, Issue 3510, 21 June 1921, Page 17

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

EMPIRE PARTNERSHIP ADVOCATED. LONDON, June 11. Speaking at the Rhodes Trustees' dinner at Oxford, Mr Massey said that he held strongly the opinion that greater opportunities faced Imperial statesmen to-day than ever before in the Empire’s history. He hoped that the opportunity would not be missed at the conference to do something of substantial benefit to the citizens of the Empire, particularly in the direction of defining the dominions’ relations to each other and to England. He strongly favoured the principle of a partnership between the nations forming the Empire; hut a partnership would carry duties and responsibilities in addition to rights and privileges. There was a serious weakness in the present system of conferences. Up to the signing of the Peace Treaty the War Cabinet did magnificent work, its decisions on important subjects being the decisions of the whole Empire. Since then tne dominions had not enjoyed representation in Empire government, which was not satisfactory to loyalists overseas, and ought to be righted. He wanted to see arrangements and an understanding reached which would tend to keep the British stock and the native I'aces which so loyally stood together during the war united in such a way that it will be impossible to break up the British Empire. AIR HUGHES’S VIEWS OUTLINED. LONDON, June 14. Representative Australians and New Zealanders, including Air Massey, attended the luncheon to Air Hughes at the Hotel Cecil. Lord Novar, in proposing tho , toast of the guest, said tlia-t m these days the Prime Alinister stood out in the eyes of democracy as the figurehead of administrative power. Air Hughes enjoyed such a position throughout the recent strenuous years. He (Lord Novar) had had an opportunity of judging him during this period, and had never seen his courage fail, or his spirit flag. Air Hughes was enthusiastically received. He said the dominion representatives had been summoned to discuss matters of the most vital importance. The Empire Conference marked a new epoch. They had a War Cabinet which had helped to frame the Versailles Treaty. Now under different circumstances they were asked to consider Empire defence and the foreign policy. Men’s minds were turned towards the domestic problems which had been intensified by the war, and therefore many thought they had not time to speak of the Empire. There was a danger that Imperial matters might be neglected. Great industrial questions such as housing and wages must be settled one way or another or they would bring about the destruction of civilisation. Bolshevism had already shown the world that there was no short cut to a terrestrial paradise. The questions of the Empire Were interwoven with domestic problems. It was no use arguing about employment and wages if there was no manufacture, and no one could manufacture if a market could not be found. ihe overseas dominions were the great markets for British goods. Air Hughes added: “Do the working men of England think what would happen if the dominions sent their products elsewhere? England must have assured supplies of raw materials. If this country steps down from its pre war

pedestal of manufacturing greatness, millions of workers will find themselves workless. In 50 years the dominions’ population. would probably exceed the Old Country’s.” There was not one domestic problem that had not an Imperial face. The foreign policy affected every part of the Empire, as from the womb of the foreign policy wars emerged. There was still the sound of war in the Near East, and there was internecine strife and industrial trouble everywhere. The very lives of the people depended upon the problems to be discussed at the Conference Cabinet or meeting. Which name they would give it he did not know. Therefore they would do well to consider the Imperial problems concerning these democratic nations. The summoning into the council of these countries was an instance of peace, because their very watchword was peace. Australia realised what she owed to the British navy. The Empire rested on sea power, and on the day that passed the Empire would pass. Air Hughes declared that the future lay in the closer co-operation of the Empire units without in the thousandth part of a degree diminishing their self-governing powers. The glory of our constitution was its elasticity. It had served us greatly, and would serve us for the next hundred years if we did not meddle with it. Mr Hughes concluded : “Let us go on with our present constitution, which emanated from the genius of the British nation, and was a triumph of common sense rather than the bourgeois flight of constitution mongers. ’ ’ DIFFERENCES OF OPINION. LONDON, June 15. A definite line of cleavage is developing already in connection with the Imperial Conference. Air Meighen (Canada) is pledged to urge the conference to defer the discussion on defence matters until the international situation is clearer, and until the naval experts have forwarded definite proposals. General Smuts supports Air Meighen, with certain modifications; but Mr Alassey and Mr Hughes are both armed with Lord Jelicoe's report strongly deprecating delay, and will insist on defence being one of the first questions to be considered.—A. and N.Z. Cable. The Empire Development Parliamentary Committee entertained the dominion Premiers and the Indian representatives at dinner at the House of Commons. Air Churchill, in welcoming the guests, said that with unity the Empire would become a Power which no other combination in the world would dare to resist. He said: “We must spread our soldier citizens as numerously as possible m the dominions, and thus facilitate a steady growth of inter-imperial sentiment m the common interest. We must endeavour to buy in different parts of the Empire, and thus cause a direct flow of trade and business enterprise into inter-imperial channels. We must improve the Empire communications by sea and air.” Mr Plughes, in responding, said: “Optimism is what is required'. The main question is, What is our policy going to be? DEVELOPAIENT POLICY NECESSARY. LONDON, June 10. One hundred members of the House of Commons attended the Empire Development Committee’s dinner. Air Hughes emphasised the importance of developing trade within the Empire, pointing out that the dominions between them bought greater quantities of British goods than Japan, America, and Germany combined. While the trade outside the £hnpire could not be neglected, it should not be overlooked that the dominions were not foreign countries. They rallied to the Empire’s aid in war time, and they provided altogether 1,000,000 white soldiers in the last war. The Empire ought to follow a deliberate policy of development of interimperial trade. He asked members to use their influence in that direction, and also towards guiding the emigration of Britain’s excess population to the dominions in order to assist the development of the dominions’ resources, at the same time placing the Empire in a position which would be lasting and secure.