EMPIRE UNITY.

Southland Times, Issue 20014, 30 October 1926, Page 7

EMPIRE UNITY.

The Conference at Work.

AVIATION DISCUSSED.

Great Possibilities Revealed.

Information as to the work of the Imperial Conference is meagre, but no news is being accepted as good news. A rumour has gained currency that all the dominions have agreed to the Locarno Pact. The official reports indicate that gratifying progress is being made.

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—

INFORMATION MOST MEAGRE. SPECULATION ABOUT LOCARNO. IMPERIAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE AT WORK. (B.ec. 5.5 p.m.) London, October 28. So secret has been the information imparted to the Conference by the Foreign Office and so necessarily bare and formal have been the daily Press bulletins thereon, that it is a wonder lobby speculators are so long silent under the restraint. One of them this morning plunged deeply into the assertion that not only had all the dominions approved the Locarno Pact but that General Hertzog had expressed the opinion that now was the time to sign it. A section of the Press definitely state that no such decision was reached over the Locarno Pact, which was only incidentally alluded to in Sir Austen Chamberlain’s and the Premiers’ speeches when foreign affairs were discussed on October 20, after which it was explicitly put aside for a closer examination at a later plenary session. The date of this session has not yet even been thought of because the Locarno Pact and the problem of the dominions’ international status need the closest scrutiny by a subcommittee of Lord Balfour’s Inter-Imperial Relations Committee. This sub-committee, consisting solely of lawyers, including Sir Francis Dillon Bell, met for the first time to-day. The mere fact that it is already engaged in drafting, confirms the earlier hints that the grouncl work for a solution of the status probl <i has already made much headway. It is understood that the lawyers are also looking into the contention that the Locarno Pact does not impose more than what the dominions have already contracted to do under the League Covenant. One confident opinion is that the Conference will not, like the 1923 Conference, leave the question of the Dominions’ status in the air to serve for three years as a text for dissonant speeches in South Africa and Ireland, but will produce a definition which will induce three years good will with greater attention to mutual pro Hems of trade. In this connection South Africa’s new enthusiasm for economic expansion in the form of international commercial treaties is interpreted as General Hertzog’s way out of his dilemma. Other dominion representatives reiterate that there has never been anything to prevent South Africa from making trade treaties with foreigners. They agree that this phase of independence will be useful in silencing separatists.—A. and NX THE AVIATION DISCUSSION. AMAZING PROGRESS SINCE 1923. NEW ZEALAND BEHIND THE TIMES. (Rec. 7.5 pjn.) London, October 28. The full Conference devoted the morning session to aviation. Reports of the Dominion delegates will be issued to-morrow in full. Mr Mackenzie King emphasised the great progress in the use of aeroplanes for the surveying and photographing of unknown areas and discovering and combating forest fires. , Mr Bruce detailed the amazing extension in Australia where flying was long past the experimental stage and had become a part of the country’s life. He said, ‘lt is no more difficult to take an aeroplane in order to shorten my journey to England than to call a taxi.” He paid tribute to Sir Ross Smith and Sir Keith Smith, and Parer and Macintosh, as well as to Cobham’s recent feat. Mr Coates admitted that New Zealand was somewhat backward in aviation. Hitherto it had only been considered from the point of view of utility in the defence of the country and not as a commercial proposition. Sir Samuel Ho are said there was no technical reason why the journey to Canada should not be reduced to two and a-half days and to India, five days; Capetown, six days; Australia, eleven days; and New Zealand, thirteen days. He emphasised the necessity for the erection of masts throughout the Empire in readiness for an airship service. The discussion is officially described as bringing home the immense advance in flying since the 1923 Conference, revealing a unanimous desire everywhere to assist in opening up inter-Imperial airwise communications. The Economic Committee dealt with the improvement in the dissemination of commercial intelligence. The Research Sub-Committee at its first meeting heard a report upon the Imperial Institute’s work. Mr R. W. Gepp, chairman of the Australian Migration and Development Commission, outlined the organisation of scientific research in Australia. Six James Parr explained that New Zealand’s problems were chiefly concerned with her primary industries. He described the creation of the Scientific Department and incidentally paid a tribute to the work of two New Zealanders, Dr Hercus in connection with goitre and rheumatoid arthritis, and Dr Tillyard dealing with fruit pests.— A. & N.Z. CIVIL AIR SERVICES. BIG DEVELOPMENT PROPHESIED. London, October 28. Sir Samuel Hoare, dealing with civil air communications at the Imperial Conference, called attention to the urgent need of better communications, for which sustained effort was necessary, including the resolute insistence on improved methods. Recent developments foreshadowed progress eclipsing anything seen in the past few years.—A. & NX MR BRUCE SYMPATHETIC. (Rec. 5.5 pjn.) London, October 28. Dealing with Sir Sanpiel Hoare’s request for co-operation in preparing the way for airships, Mr Bruce said he would sympathetically consider providing mooring-masts at meteorological stations after he teamed

the details first-hand from the Air Ministry during investigations into the Empire’s aerial defence.—A. and N.Z. ALL DOMINIONS FAVOUR LOCARNO PACT. FULLER INFORMATION CONVINCES PREMIERS. London, October 28. The Daily News is able to state that all dominions now favour the Locarno Pact. It was clear at the outset of the foreign affaire discussion that several premiers were not fully informed regarding the treaty. Mr Bruce afterwards expressed the opinion that the matter was not whether we should sign the pact or not, but if Britain was forced to go to war because she was a signatory. We were all at war. General Hertzog sought detailed information on this point. Sir Austen Chamberlain replied at length, and General Hertzog concurred in the general opinion regarding signature to the treaty. This decision was reached only after Sir Austen Chamberlain gave a positive assurance of the bona tides of M. Briand and the Germans attending the League of Nations.—Sun Cable. INTER-IMPERIAL RELATIONS. NO WRITTEN FORMULA SOUGHT. (Rec. 8.15 p.m.) Loryion, October 29. The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent says what emerged clearly from the discussions at the Imfierial Conference is that while the Foreign Office sought to justify their separate action in entering into war committments under the Locarno Pact without the general consent of the dominions. Such action certainly will not be repeated in future, since a repetition could be regarded by separatists in South Africa and elsewhere as vindicating their own doctrine of independence in the international domain. It is not anticipated that any new and written constitutional formula will be evolved twit it is expected that such a measure of agreement as reached will be crystallised according to traditions in a resolution framed in general terms.—A. and N.Z. BRITISH MOTOR CARS. WHAT THE DOMINIONS REQUIRE. London, October 28. Mr Bruce and Mr Coates visited the motor show and inspected thirty cars specially selected by the Department of Overseas Trade as suited to dominion requirements. Mr Bruce talked with the makers’ representatives and explained what was required for Australia, particularly regarding price and power, stating that he hoped in these directions Britain could compete with America. Mr Bruce, interviewed, said many British manufacturers were getting down to American prices. Things were much better than they used to be but many makers had yet a long way to go.—A. & NX MR COATES BUSY. DINES WITH MR. AMERY. London, October 28. Mr Coates spent the morning at the motor show. He stated that he was glad to notice that car makers were paying heed to the Dominion’s requirements and in many respects had added the features desired. Mr Coates was busy during the afternoon at Conference Committees. He dined privately with Mr Amery with whom he later attended a ball at Australia House. Mr Coates has accepted an invitation to follow in Mr Massey’s footsteps and become a freeman of Sheffield. Sir Francis Bell met a distinguished assembly of legal luminaries at the Lord Chancellor’s dinner in. honour of the legal delegates to the Conference at the Inner Tempte.—A. & N_Z. BALL AT AUSTRALIA HOUSE. (Rec. 5.5 pan.) London, October 28. The overseas nurses’ ball at Australia House, organised by Lady Cook, was attended by Mr and Mrs . Baldwin, Mr and Mrs Amery, Lord ami Lady Novar, all the Dominion Prime Ministers with the exception of Mr Cosgrave, the Agente-General, and the Maharajah and the Maharanee of Burdwan.—A. and N.Z, VISIT TO ADMIRALTY. (Rec. 5.5 pun.) London, October 28. The chief item for Friday’s meeting of the Conference is a visit to the Admiralty. A and N.Z.