SMOOTHING OUT

Southland Times, Issue 20015, 1 November 1926, Page 7

SMOOTHING OUT

The Conference's Difficulties.

DOMINIONS’ STATUS.

Problem Not So Formidable.

There are indications that the question of the status of the dominions, which was expected to provide a big stumbling block in the way of Empire unity, is not going to prove so difficult after all. It is gathered that, while there have been discordant notes, there is every chance of a satisfactory settlement being reached. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.)

CIVIL AVIATION. CANADA’S REMARKABLE PROGRESS. SPEECH BY MR. MACKENZIE KING. (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) London, October 29. Mr. Mackenzie King, replying to Sir Samuel Hoare’s speech on civil air communication, said Canada would readily cooperate with Britain in erecting mooringmasts and undertaking meterological organisation. Canada was, he said, establishing air harbours and aerodromes, training pilots, making new machines and training mechanics. Her aircraft yearly carried policemen, prospectors, engineers, foresters, explorers and Indian agents across undeveloped country. Canada had developed air survey work more than any other country. They had mapped unexplored country and they undertook aerial photography for the benefit of mining and timber exploitation, and forestry protection and fire fighting, especially carrying fire fighters. Canada closely co-operated with the aerial survey companies of England and other parts of the Empire. She had arranged for an interchange of civil aviation officers. She had also manufactured many seaplanes and aeroplanes. Aviators had discovered 227 fires and suppressed 224, and also surveyed 40,000 square-miles of country.— A. and N.Z. OPINIONS OF DOMINIONS’ DELEGATES. NEW ZEALAND BACKWARD. SUPPORT OF EMPIRE SCHEME PROMISED. (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) London, October 30. Discussing the question of air communications at the Imperial Conference, Mr. Coates echoed Sir Samuel Hoare’s optimism and said New Zealand was encouraging private aerial enterprise. New Zealacders had not a flying sense because they had not the opportunity to develop it. If an air line was established with Australia it would give New Zealand an objective, but die could not yet pledge herself to expenditure on an air-rnast. Mr. N. C. Havenga anticipated the development of commercial air transport in South Africa where at present it was left to private enterprise, but the Government would gladly co-operate in an Imperial air scheme and would consider making provision for a mooring mast. Mr. McGilligan said the Irish Free State hoped to form a link in Empire communication. Mr. Monroe promised to help in establishing a landing service. Lord Winterton said the Indian Government could subsidise the Indian section. —.A. and NX CONFERENCE MEETS AT ADMIRALTY. NAVAL DEFENCE DISCUSSED. COMMITTEES AT WORK. (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) London, October 29. The Imperial Conference met at the Admiralty and discussed naval defence. The Economic Committee considered the advisability of obtaining a complete record of goods in cold storage. The Workmen’s Compensation Sub-Com-mittee considered the position of nonresident workmen, the dependents of seamen anl aliens under the various Empire compensation laws and the question of reciprocal arrangements between parts of the Empire. Lord Bledisloe, addressing the Research Sub-Committee, drew attention to the Agriculture Research Conference to be held in London in 1927 at which the dominions and the colonies would be represented. He admitted that veterinary science was not keeping pace with medical science. He approved of an interchange of research workers. Major Elliott, chairman of the Empire Marketing Board’s Research Committee, described its ever widening operations, dealing with food production, storage and transport. The committee was assisting extensive Empire wide research in respect of mineral contents and natural pastures, and giving grants in connection with entomological work in connection with noxious weeds. Sir Walter Fletcher outlined the operations of the Medical Research Committee and advocated the creation of an Imperial scientific service with interchangeable officers. Another speaker described the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research working in co-operation with the dominions in reference to transport and storage. He emphasised the necessity for continuity in research policy with adequate remuneration to the best recruits from the Imperial scientific service. Lord Lovat welcomed the progress of Empire forestry from indifference to a stage of research in which all the dominions were holding mutual consultations.—A. and NX WORK OF TOE CONFERENCE. REVIEW BY MR AMERY. REASONS FOR SECRECY. (Rec. 5.5 pjn.) London, October 30. Mr Amery in the course of his wireless broadcast review at the Imperial Conference said they had assembled under the deep impression of the unveiling of a tablet to the Empire’s 1,000,000 dead, resulting in a feeling that the Conference must live up ,to the ideals for which men died. Foreign affaire were discussed in camera “not because British policy has a single aim or motive which it is desired to conceal, or any other aim than the promotion of peace. The proceedings of the session were kept private only because it was felt publication would restrict free and unhampered discussions.” Sir Austen Chamberlain’s review revealed the position of Europe and the world as far more peaceable and more promising than when the 1923 Conference met, a state of affairs to which Britain had contributed in no small share. Similar reasons actuated the decision to keep the

defence discussion secret. This session was most important, revealing a greater desire than ever before for real Empire co-opera-tion in defence. The Conference was doing an immense amount of useful work and there was no hesitation in forecasting that when it was finished it would be found that it had been no less useful than any of its predecessors.—A. and N.Z. GETTING DOWN TO FACTS. VALUABLE 'WORK BY MR BRUCE. INTER-IMPERIAL RELATIONS DISCUSSION. AN INTERESTING REVIEW. (Rec. 5.5 p.mJ London, October 30. When the history of the Imperial Conference comes to be written it will be found that Mr Bruce played a most useful part in getting down to a more intimate exchange of viewpoints. After he was instrumental in having foreign relations submitted to Lord Balfour’s sub-committee if was found that the sub-committee, through the attendance of so many under-secretaries and legal advisers, was really more unwieldy than the Conference itself. It is understood that Mr Bruce said this neutralised all the virtues of a round table discussion and asked if it were not possible to leave the Prime Ministers to themselves so they might have a really frank chat. His object was achieved to-day and it is generally felt that it has done a vast amount of good. For example, much was said to show that the issue of national status was not really an issue at all, and that while there were varying opinions as to degree, there was nothing seriously divergent as to the fundamentals. To-day’s “family talk” is described*as having greatly cleared the way to a complete understanding. In this connection interesting messages are coming back from South Africa quoting General Hertzog’s declaration that there is no difference of opinion about status but that it is rather a question of the necessity of a communication of Imperial relationships to the outside world.

From a most authoritative quarter has come to-night the following summing up of the discussions, “Though the atmosphere has become most friendly, offering a bright prospect of agreement on the most difficult subject of inter-imperial relations, this should not be taken to mean that there have not been any discordant notes. Some dominions never had difficulties over this particular problem and their policy for many years has shown no deviation, whatever political party is in power. They stood consistently in good times and in bad times for Imperial unity. With them it has never been a question of finding Imperial connections irksome. On the other hand some dominions like South Africa and the Free State, owing in the former case to the local political and racial atmosphere, and in the latter case to their peace with the motherland being very recent and their memories of bitter events preceding the Irish Treaty still poignant, it could not be expected they would attain complete harmony with the motherland all in a minute, but when the Empire family meet together they soon discover their dissonance is only skin deep and that it is only due to themselves trailing red herrings across the track of Empire solidarity. When they come to meet together as equals with all the Empire’s partners, they realise that their dissonance rests upon most slender foundations. Though these differences may have seemed large and serious enough when at home, they appear from London reduced, as when viewed through the wrong end of telescopes.” In this connection the highest tribute is paid to Lord Balfour’s tact in handling a situation which in clumsier hands might have become delicate.

"He is an experienced master hand on such, occasions,” said one observer, “And by his will all were brought together. It is certain that the greatest common measure of agreement in essentials will yet be found.”

Members of the Conference spent a most valuable morning at the Admiralty hearing the most secret views on the world’s fleets and strategy. Though every one at the Conference recognises ' that Japan is no longer the force to be reckoned with that she was before her recent troubles, no one has yet said so in actual words, but the naval view is that the alteration of the outlook in consequence of these things has not changed the main fact, which is that the Pacific Ocean and not the North Sea is now fhe more vital area from the viewpoint of the Empire’s naval strategy. It is understood that the discussions reached the stage of considering sharing a portion of the burden of naval defence amongst the dominions, even to the extent of an examination of the form their contributions should take, but no decisions were reached.

There seems no serious opposition to the suggestion made by the Economic Sub-Com-mittee for compulsory periodic notification of quantities of goods in cold store, though it is admitted it must cover both British and dominion' ports. The adoption of a similar idea with regard to wool stocks is less favourably viewed at present because it might react to the disadvantage of the dominions, especially Australia and New Zealand, through undue enlightenment of speculators. The sub-committee on mandates agreed that in addition to a composite objection to the League of Nations’ new questionnaire and other suggested innovations, each mandatory power should send rte own reply to the League based largely on Britain’s strong memorandum already delivered to the League.—A. and N.Z. GREAT NAVAL PAGEANT. ALL TOE THRILLS OF WAR. SUBMARINES, AIRCRAFT Alfo DESTROYERS. WONDERFUL SCENES WITNESSED. (Rec. 11.5 pjn.) London, October 30. All the thrills of naval warfare without its horrors were witnessed by the Dominions Premiers and 250 guests aboard the battleship Revenge off Portland Bill to-day. They experienced the sensation of watching a dummy torpedo from an unseen submarine coming unerringly to hit-audtaL mark,

then destroyers, skimming the foam, dashed to strafe the submarine with depth charges while an overhead fleet of supermarine seaplanes carried out their taletelling task of blinking out in Morse code their messages of guidance to the punitive greyhounds of the Navy. It was all intensely real and delighted the Premiers, of whom only Mr Mackenzie King was absent, suffering from a chilL From the moment of leaving Waterloo till their return the party experienced the perfect hospitality of the British Government. Not the least delightful feature was the breezy courtesy of the officers and crew of the Revenge. It was a real day with the fleet. The visitors might not have been so admiringly disposed toward submarine L 18 had they not known the red nose of the torpedo was filled with water instead of high explosives. They even bet on its chances of cutting off the Revenge as they traced its tell-tale wake a hundred yards off when it was sighted. The torpedo struck with wonderful precision just abaft the engine-room on the port side bulge, with a resounding boom. Meantime, two others found a mark on the starboard side. To all intents and purposes the Revenge was a lame duck and out of action, but she was soon reeling off 16 knots to watch L 18, now well away, getting a makebelieve dose of dizziness from destroyers’ depth charges. These were only 1,000 yards away and the coucumhods made the Revenge quiver, the detonations reverljerating through her as if a bandsman were playing a huge drum. The sky was soon thick with aircraft which were literally belched at the rate of one per minute from the aircraft carrier, Furions, while sweepers cleared the Revenge’s path of mines. But the most stirring incident was a close-up view of target firing by the Hood, the Repulse and the Renown—mere grey splotches on the horizon seven miles away hurling 15-inch sand-filled shells across the Revenge’s bows to a target 2,000 yards beyond. From the flash of the guns till the boom was heard on the Revenge it was 20 seconds and then ten more till the shells sent up columns of spray 150 feet, concealing the target till it was so perfectly straddled as to represent a riddled ship. Coming home six smoke-screened destroyers tried to torpedo the Revenge, but the latter’s twisting caused all to miss the mark. The guests on disembarking lustily cheered Admiral Sir H. F. Oliver, Commander-in-chief of the Atlantic fleet, and the crews of ships in tribute to the Navy’s stage-craft. Mr Coates and his wife embarked at Portland on the cruiser Westminster and went to the Ide of Wight to join the Jellicoes for the week-end.—A. and NX