IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Otago Witness, Issue 3994, 30 September 1930, Page 27

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

} OPENING THIS WEEK.

WIDE RANGE OF DISCUSSIONS. RUGBY, September 22. The opening of the Imperial Conference, which will assemble in London next week, is awaited with keen interest. It it anticipated that the most important discussions will be those dealing with economic questions, and their range will be of the widest character. They will embrace tariff changes and the extent and effect of interimperial tariff preferences, bulk purchase, agricultural and industrial research, and Empire transport and communications, including ship ping, aviation, and cables and wireless.

The Secretary for the Dominions (Mr J. H. Thomas) referred to the complex problems before the conference in a speech at the Wool Research Conference in London to-day. He said: “ There never was an Imperial Conference held in more difficult circumstances, but equally there never was a conference that was more necessary. Each constituent part of the Empire is faced with its own domestic and economic problems. We in

the Old Country are passing through a period unexampled in history. 1 have confidence, however, that the old spirit of grit and determination that saw th»country through many of its difficulties in the past will pull us through. At the Imperial Conference we shall sit down not with the desire to think of ourselves alone, but with the single-minded desire to see how we can combine our hrains and energies to make the best use of the Empire with its unlimited potentialities and possibilities for the common good of all.”

It is officially announced that as the Prime Minister of Canada will not be able to reach London until September 30. the opening meeting of the Imperial Conference has been deferred until October 1. A CHANGE OF VENUE. DEPARTURE FROM PRECEDENT. LONDON, September 23. It is learnt that it was suddenly decided to-night to open the Imperial Conference at tlie Foreign Office in stead of at No. 10 Downing street' This departure from precedent has caused surprise, because the conference has always been opened in the historic Cabinet room, into which have been ad mitted only the members of the Cabinet and the dominion delegates. It is thought that Mr Ramsay MacDonald changed the venue because he desires a spectacular opening like that of the Naval Conference. THE DELEGATES ASSEMBLING OUTLINE OF THE AGENDA. RUGBY, September 24. The agenda of the Imperial Confer ence, which begins next Wednesday, will not take its final form until the arrival of the dominion Prime Ministers next week. Canada’s Prime Minister (Mr R. B. Bennett) is ,now crossing tin Atlantic. The Australian and South African Prime Ministers are on their way from Geneva. The Irish Free State delegation will arrive on Monday, and the High Commissioner for New Zealand is in London, as are also many subordinate members of the different delegations. The questions before the conference will be divided into three main categories:— (1) Interimperial relations; (2) foreign policy and defence; and (3) • economic questions. In the general outline of the agenda which the Prime Minister (Mr Mac donald) gave the House of Commons two months ago, he explained that under the heading of “ Interimperial Relations ” will be considered the recommendations of the Committee on Dominion Legislation and “ others matters of a constitutional character cognate to and arising from those discussed in the report of the Interimperial Relations Committee ” of the last Imperial Conference held four years ago. “ Foreign Policy and Defence ” will cover peace and arbitration and the reduction and limitation of armaments and questions of defence.

The economic discussions will include general questions of Empire trade, in-

eluding capital investments and the establishment of branch industries, the effect of successive tariff changes, and the extent and effect of interimperial tariff preferences, and also of other factors, such as cartels, etc., bulk purchase, and price stabilisation, the development of interimperial trade by trade commissione’r services, exhibitions and general publicity, oversea settlement, the co-operation of research Organisations, and transport and communications.

The conference is likely to last for some weeks.

Among other engagements outside tlie conference which the delegates will attend is a dinner in their honour to be given by the League of Nations Union, at which the Prince of Wales will speak. Lord Grey will preside, and other speakers will include the Dominions Secretary (Mr J. H. Thomas), Sir Austen Chamberlain, and some of the visiting Prime Ministers. THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK. CONSTRUCTIVE TRADE POLICY. LONDON, September 24. The Trade Union Congress and the Federated British Industries, in a memorandum to Mr MacDonald, jointly urge that the most important task of the Imperial Conference is the creation of permanent machinery to permit discussion and formulation of a construe time commonwealth trade policy; secondly, the establishment of a permanent commonwealth economic secretariat acting at all Imperial Conferences on economic questions; thirdly, a non-party advisory commonwealth trade conference consisting of persons representative of the dominions and Britain, but acting personally. The conference should Represent the employers and the employees, and should study inter-commonwealth trade, with the object of laying down a sound basis for a commonwealth economic policy. WHAT THE EMPIRE NEEDS. LESS POLITICS; MORE TRADE. ' LONDON, September 25. The Morning Post says that what the British Empire wants is less politics and more trade. The Imperial Conference needs a permanent secretariat to carrv out a settled policy. - The Times says that the economic secretariat must hot be responsible to any of the Governments, but jointly and severally to all. It can enjoy the full confluence of the rest of the Empire onlv if it is not tied to the Home Government. The ideal is an Imperial organ; sation, with a purse of its own. to which each of the Governments of the Empire will contribute according to its means. Such an organisation would find plenty of work to do. Members of the British Commonwealth must co-operate and or ganise if they are not to be left behind in the race for prosperity.

A MOMENTOUS GATHERING.

OVERSEAS DELEGATES ARRIVE. RUGBY, September 25.

The opening meeting of the Imperial Conference on Wednesday next will be held in the reception room at the Foreign Office. This is the room in which the Locarno treaties were signed. It is more spacious than any of those available at r h A Prime Minister’s official residence.

NEW ZEALAND’S DELEGATES.

MR FORBES REACHES LONDON. LONDON, September 25.

Mr G. W. Forbes (Prime Minister of New Zealand) was heartily welcomed at Waterloo station this evening. A crowd of New Zealanders warmly cheered him. Sir Thoma. Wilford, Mr J. H. Thomas. Colonel de Satgee (Dominions Office). Sir H. Batterbee (Dominions Office) and Sir Charles Holdsworth were among those present. There were many handshakes for old friends in the ’elegation. There was the customary barrage of cameramen, who did their duty, after which Mr Forbes went to his hotel. He was earlier given a reception on board he Majestic at : Southampton by the Mayor. He said that he had had a delightful voyage from New York. Interviewed, Mr Forbes said: “We do not oring any cut-and-dried proposals, and we have no memorandum to submit to the conference. We recognise Britain’s present difficulties, and we ar-> anxious to join in any measures which will benefit her and New Zealand. While Britain is already taking most of our exports—meat, butter, cheese, and other commodities—we can supply much larger quantities. Though we import most of our requirements from Britain, we are anxious to increase the proportion. New Zealand is doing very well, but she wants to do better.”

Asked what he thought of the British memorandum suggesting the admission of dominion food products in preference to foreign goods on the ground that they were produced under carefully-controlled conditions, Mr Forbes said he would give the fullest consideration to this and other proposals put before the conference. New Zealand safeguarded the interests of the consumer in every possible way. She had never pressed for any material change in the constitutional relations with Britain. Ho recognised that those questions were of deeper concern to other parts of

the Empire than to the Dominion, and he did not propose to place any obstacle in the way of a solution acceptable to all, but he -would do everything possible to promote unity in the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Mr Forbes said that unless the conference arrived at some agreed effective economic policy it would not justify the high hopes that had been entertained. He

was much struck by the vastness of Canada, but he admitted that Australia was equally spacious. “After all,” he concluded, “ there is something to be said for a nice, small country. New Zealand is quite big enough for all the people within its borders and for many more. It is a comfortable place in which to live.”

NEW ZEALAND AND SECESSION. LONDON, September 26.

Mr Forbes told the British press representatives that he had chatted for ten minutes with Mr Ramsay MacDonald in the forenoon. He said he had heard Mr MacDonald in New Zealand ir 1906 and had formed the opinion that he was one of the most eloquent protagonists of Empire unity. He paid a '.ribute to Mr Snowden, who was the only member of the Government whom he had met per l sonally in New Zealand. New Zealand was interested in the constitutional prob lems involved in the 1926 conference decisions. but was no prepared to formulate anything inconsistent with the most ferve.i devotion to Imperial unity. He proposed to co-operate with Dr Marsden in the development of scientific research, which had already had most profitable results in New Zealand. He paid an enthusiastic tribute to Lord Bledisloe as a most understanding Governor on farming problems. Questioned with regard to secession, Mr Forbes emphatically declared that the word was absolutely unknown in New Zealand, which war indissolubly attached to *'he Empire. Mr Forbes v> sited Mr J. H. Thomas. L,.rd Privy Seal, and also Sir Charlee Hardinge. In the afternoon he held an intimate discussion withe the High Commissioner (Sir Thomas Wilford) ou New Zealand affairs.

IMPORTANT PRONOUNCEMENTS. LONDON, Septer-ber 27.

“ I trust the demand for a declaration of the right to secession, r whatever is to be, will not be pressed or made too prominent an issue at the Imperial Conference,” said Mr Forbes. “It may be said the very fact that we are partners in Empire implies the right to leave the :>artuership under certain conditions, but why talk about it? No dominion wants to secede o- is likely to want to do so If a business firm goes discussing a dissolution of partnership instead of getting on with its business such talk hardly helps it or cammands public confidence We are here on the most important business >i bringing the Empire into close] trade relations and improving the feeling between differem parts. Let us get on with that business instead of talking 'bout secession."

Mt Forbes has been discussing the question of New Zealand exchange rates, which are the same as Australian, though Now Zealand has no adverse balance of trade. He said the banks apparently r ound great difficulty in differentiating bet on the rates owing to the close financial relations between New Zealand and . ustralia.

Mr Forbes states that he conversed with both the Canadian Prime Minister and the Minister of Commerce regarding preference- for New Zealand butter. He pointed out that the Now Zealand concessions out-balanced the Canadian concessions upon a total interdominion trade. Mr Forbes assured M~ Bennett (Prime Minister of Canada) that New Zealand did not desire a tariff war, and it - was agreed to continue discussions in London.

THE BRITISH DELEGATES. RUGBY, September 25.

The list of delegates to the conference is published. The nan. . of the dominion delegates are already known. The United Kingdom delegates will be Mr Ramsay MacDonald (Prime oiinister), Mr P'’’ip Snowden (Chancellor-of the Exchequer), Mr Arthur Henderson (Foreign Secretary), Mr J. H. Thomas (Secretary for

Dominion Affairs), Lord Passfield (Secretary for the Colonies), Lord Sankey (Lord Chancellor), Mr William Graham (President of the Board of Trade), Sir William Jowitt (Attorney-general), and Mr F. W. Pethick-Lawrence (Financial Secretary to the Treasury).

BROADCAST TALKS ARRANGED. . I* LGBY, September u. , . uring the Imperial Conference the British Broadcasting Corporation will on Wednesday evenings broadcast talks by some of the leading delegates. Mr MacDonald will speak next Wednesday, and his remarks will be relayed throughout America.

NEWFOUNDLAND DELEGATES. RUGBY, September 25. Th Newfoundland Prime Minister (Sir Richard Squires), who arrived in London last night, called on Mr Ramsay MacDonald this afternoon.

ENTERTAINING DELEGATES. NAVAL, AIR FORCE, AND MILITARY DISPLAYS. RUGBY, September 26. As ou the occasion of the last conference naval, military, and Air Force displays are being organised to take place during the next few weeks and which overseas delegates to the Imperial Conference will attend. The War Office display will be held at Aidershot, and the Air Force display at Croydon. The delegates will also travel to Portland to view the naval exercises which are being arranged by the Admiralty. Many banquets will be given jn honour of the delegates. They include a Government dinner and a reception, at which Mr Ramsay MacDonald will preside, at Lancaster House on September 30. On the following night the Royal Empire Society, the British Empire League, the Vjetofia League, the Overseas League, and the British Empire Club are giving a dinner for the delegates at- the Mansion House, at which Prince Arthur of Connaught will be in the chair. On October 3 the Prime Ministers and Ministers and their wives will be the guests of the King and Queen at Buckingham Palace. The Prince of Wales will be present, and will also ttend a dinner and a reception to be given by the Empire Marketing Board on October 8.

MR GARVIN’S SUGGESTIONS. LONDON, September 28.

The newspapers are unanimous that the Imperial Conference will be the most important yet held in the Empire's history.

Mr J. L. Garvin, writing in the Observer, suggests the laying down of a programme covering the policy for the Empire for a period of five years. He points out that the time has gone by for hand-to-mouth Empire economics. He wants to see a standing Empire Committee for trade development, carrying out a plan covering at least a period of five «years. EMPIRE FREETRADE. LONDON, September 27. The Daily Herald’s Imperial Conference correspondent, possibly foreshadowing the attitude of the Labour Government, says the Imperial Conference is likely to give the quietus to Empire Freetrade. There is room, he says, for improvement- in trading methods within the Empire, for an enormous increase in marketing efficiency, for closer association of. business interests, and more flexible and efficient financing of interimperial trade.