The Otago Witness. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY. (TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1921.) THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3517, 9 August 1921, Page 36

The Otago Witness. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY. (TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1921.) THE WEEK.

"N'lnquam, allud natara, allu'l sapientia dixit.” -Jcves'ai.. ‘‘Good nature and good sixise must ever join.”— Pope. After deliberations extending over a period < . seve n weeks the Imperial The imperial Conference lias closed, and Conference. it is now possible to take a survey of the proceedings. Mr Massey regard's the Conference as “ epoch-making,'’ inasmuch " as it has marked the first occasion on which representatives of tile dominions have joined in the government of the Empire as a whole. ’ It may reasonably be questioned whether Mr Massey’s characteristic optimism has not run away with his tongue in such an expression of opinion. It would, perhaps, be more correct to describe the Conference as giving the responsible heads of the dominions an opportimitv for free and full of opinion ill regard to the problems of Umpire in which the dominions arc directly interested. And there is every reason to anticipate that these expressions of opinion will be given due weight by the Imperial Government in t-he future direction of Empire ’policy. In the. official report of the Conference it is stated that “all tile members of the Conference expressed a vivid sense of the value of the present meeting and a desire that similar meetings should be held as frequently as possible in accordance with the precedent created by the War Cabinet and the Empire delegation to the Peace Conference.” So far as New Zealand is concerned—and the same will probably be true of tiie other oversea dominions—considerable exception will be taken to this expressed desire. It cannot be too strongly emphasised that urgency organisations essential to efficiency in war time must not be perpetuated after oeace is declared. Any project calling for the absence from the Dominion of the Prime Minister for several months in each year cannot too strongly be inveighed against. Experience has shown that such an absence involves the dislocation of domestic affairs and the postponement of important decisions to the point oi loss and mischief and waste. Moreover the business oi Parliament, which normally occupies the whole of a Prime Minister’s time, cannot be properlv attended to while he is tripping to and fro from the Homeland. No cogent reason can be urged for the frequency of these Imperial Conferences in view of the fact that what have in the past been known as Imperial Questions will in the future have to be discussed and solved upon an international basis if the peace of the world is to be preserved. This is seen in the Tact that, while the Imperial Conference was primarily concerned with the problems of the Pacific, the outcome of their deliberations is entirely dependent upon the result of the Disarmament Conference convened by President Harding for November next. A mi if, as is ardently to be hoped, the League of Nations Union, or some such similar scheme for the preservation of world-peace, is placed upon r, firm and permanent basis, as the result of til-.* Washington Conference, tile need of a frequently meeting British Imperial Conference will be less urgently felt. The _ very configuration of the British Empire, with its far-flung dominions, renders the majority of its problems international ones: that is to sav, British interests in all parts of the world are likely to conflict, with the interests of other nat ■ ns. .Already, for instance, a Paris ne accusing Great Britain of conspiring with Germany to exploit the markets oi Russia to the detriment of !■ noire, ibis is but one example of many such questions which must be harmonised by tin; League of Nations in the interests Gp peace. Sooner or later the Supreme AAar Council will cease to be. and the League cf nations Council take its proper p'.uce as the International Tribunal, on which the dominions will have due’and proper ; r. resent:':lion. And while it may r ‘‘-‘ ■ -■■■ v to summon an occasional assembly et a British Imperial Conference the discussion of international ques-C-ons. it would be unwise in the extreme to attempt to create a permanent con- 1 ferenco of tl c sort suggested by Mr Massey and the other dominion prime ministers. Ti'e preservation of the peace of the world may be said to turn His Prospects upon the success of the (er Peace. expeiunent which President Harding is attempting to establish ah understanding between Japan, America and Great Britain upon the problems of the Pacific. President Harding's recent utterances breathe a spirit of lotty idealism evidently aiming at the creation of the right atmosphere for the coming conference. “Nothing on earth,” said the Li.iUd States President, “can prevent America from fulfilling her Godgiven destiny : which destiny was expressed in the hope that before his term of office had expired “the things for which we lave <-too:i will be so firmly rooted that iron < m give his attention to the pursuits of peace and the attainment of 1 those higher ends which God intended. I This pious hope formed the prehide to an j impressive declaration. Believing that 1 “ail the world v:u ri-solver! that warfare should be brought to an end,” President Harding pointed out that the American Government “was engaged in r ni enterprise which, without, involving the surrunder of nationality, or liberty, or right, would remove the reasons for war and would put an end to it \nd President Harding concluded by saying “I i think we will succeed.” The difficulties I in the way of disarmament are well illus- j

trated in the discussion which took place last week in the House of Commons on a vote for £30,000,000 in the Naval Estimates for the construction of four capital ships. It was pointed out that Japan would have eight battleships completed by 1925, and eight more completed by IS2B, while the United States would have 12 of these battleships completed by 1925. Under these circumstances it was urged that Britain’s building of four new capital ships, to replace vessels now obsolete, could not Vie regarded as provocative, or competitive, or as a challenge. Despite Mr Asquith’s suggestion that decision be deferred until alter the Washington Conference, the vote was passed. A statement just issued by the Japanese Embassy in London must be read in the light both of President Harding's declaration and of the discussion in the House of Commons. According tc that statement Japan is prepared tc reduce her military plans to the minimum necessary for self-defence if America Irani;ly and promptly adopts a similar course. Similarly Japan feels “that powerful countries like Britain and Ame riea should frankly give a lead in any reduction of armaments.” There is a certain amount of cynicism in the remark that while Japan “regards a reduction oi armaments as excellent in principle” “in practice it will meet with almost insurmountable difficulties.” And “although President Harding's proposal is theoretically regarded with complete approval in Japan, it is fe.lt that any practical result cannot be reckoned upon with any degree of confidence.” It may, perhaps, be too much to expect that American idealism will appeal to Japanese opinion : it is possible, however, that the argument of self-interest may carry weight. Japan financially and commercially nvofitted exceedingly out of the Great War m which she was largely an onlooker. If unhappily another great war should devastate the world Japan will be one of the principal belligerents in a conflict spelling her financial ruin. The final argument in favour of disarmament is the financial one, and this President Hording may be expected to hammer home at Washington with all the force he can command. By the time Air Massey returns to New Zealand, Parliament will be The in session, and a pretty Now Zealand kettle of fish will be simOutlook. mering on the fire. The financial position as revealed in tile puplic accounts of the June quarter is serious one, the expenditure increasing and the revenue steadily falling. ADa aw hi io, all that tiie heads of clepartfenis appear able to do in the absence of tueir chief is to shut the stable door after the horse has been stolen. The railways offer a case in point; all through the winter, when the travelling public is a. small one, the railway services have been carried on at a considerable loss to the taxpayers. Suddenly waking up to tiie situation, the department has decided upon a “cut” in the services just at the time of year when normally traffic begins to revive, thus inflicting serious inconvenience, and to little purpose. Moveov or at a time when it is of the utmost importance that prices of all commodities should find a safe and permanent level. Lie Government insists upon continuing its unwarrantable interference with track* ami private entei prise. The case of the gas-cookers is still fresh in evervone’s mind, and now comes the prohibition of jam and fruit palp from .Australia by means of the iniquitous “Order-in-Council,” a weapon the relict of the war period._ If the fruit industry of the Dominion requires protection the arguments for and against should be debated in Parliament, and form the subject of tariff revision. Any system which’ allows interested persons to bring influence to bear upon the Cabinet to the extent of prohibitive “Order-in-CounciT” is clearly adeparture from the recognised principles of constitutional government. From the point of view of the consumer the fact remains that a wholesome and healthy T' tide of diet, like fruit, is abnormal!*’ high in price, and that the price of jam, a. favourite food for children, puts it beyond the reach of the majority. 11 he existing sugar situation furnishes another example of governmental bungling, and the continuance cf coal control yet another. 1 hat curses come home to rno-t is seen in. the tenor of the report of t-he Commissioners appointed by the Government to report on the division of assets between the Otago and the South Otago Hospital Board. Not only has the preposterous claim of the South Otago Board received short shrift, but a situation has been created which will tax all the inge initv of ski Hod ratlin mentarians to straighten out-. All things considered, Air Ala ssey is likely to have a lively home-coming.