BRITISH STATUS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19334, 26 May 1937, Page 6

BRITISH STATUS

PEOPLES OF DOMINIONS CONSTITUTION QUERIES CRISIS NOT LIKELY TALKS IX LONDON (Kl<m\ Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Peed Mav 20, 1 p.m.) LONDON, -May 25.

As a result of to-day's inaugural meeting of the Imperial Conference constitutional committee, comprising the heads of the delegations and legal advisers, it is virtually certain that, contrary to earlier expectations, no Empire constitutional crisis will emerge from the conference. It is understood that the Australian Treasurer, Mr. If. CI. Casey, is emphatic that Australia lias not the •slightest intention of agreeing to any alteration to the rights of Australians to be British subjects.' The Attorney-General, .Sir Donald Somerville, on behalf of Britain, took a line similar to the Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, whose speech last evening was really directed to those Dominions, mainly Canada and .South Africa, seeking to tinker with the constitution when he declared: "Do not let us put our constitution in a .strait waistcoat." The technical suo-committcc appointed by to-day's heads of delegations will be confronted by the issue that the South African Prime Minister, General .1. B. Jlertzog, raised in. dealing with the nationalisation of aliens in the Dominions and whether ihey attained, full status, and also the thorny problem of howBritish subjects are affected in Dominions, sucli as Canada and South Africa, who have passed their own nationality laws.

PACIFIC SHIPPING

AMERICAN SUBSIDIES (Heed. May 26. 2 p.m.) London, -May 2s. The sub-committee dealing with the question of Pacific shipping held a further .short, meeting this morning under thp. chairmanship of the New Zealand Minister of Finance, Mr. W. Nash. It discussed the American subsidised competition across the Tasman, including New Zealand and Australia's enabling legislation. The committee is to reassemble on Thursday.