The Imperial War Conference

Southland Times, Issue 23942, 7 October 1939, Page 4

The Imperial War Conference

THE announcement that the acting Prime Minister will represent New Zealand at an Imperial war conference in London will be received with general approval throughout the Dominion. Apart from personal qualifications which make Mr Fraser the obvious choice for work of this kind, it is probably true that the departments under his control are less affected than most .others by the present state of emergency. _ In his role of acting Prime Minister during Mr Savage’s illness he has shown a grasp of the country’s affairs and a sense of moderation in authority that will encourage most New Zealanders to feel the utmost confidence in the use he will make of fairly wide discretionary powers. The mission that takes him to London should be of great value in providing the closer contacts that are indispensable in war time. Although the Government is kept fully informed of developments abroad the situation changes so rapidly during an emergency that it is not always easy to understand the trend of policy at a distance from its background. During the last war similar consultations between representatives of the Empire Governments were not undertaken until the later years; but they were then noticeably successful in co-ordin-ating defence activities in different parts of the world. As in other phases of the war, methods that were tested and proved by experience in 1914-18 are now being adopted at the beginning of the conflict. Recent advances in transport should allow the consultation of Empire Ministers to be arranged and effected with a speed that greatly reduces the handicap in time which had to be faced 25 years ago. Presumably Mr Fraser will travel by air, in which case he should be able to reach London in something like a fortnight. In these circumstances it will be surprising if Empire conferences are not more frequent, and much more effective, than was to be expected during the last war.