IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 103, 21 June 1911, Page 6

I MPERIAL CONFERENCE.

* A DIFFICULT PROBLEM. By Electric Teh-graph—Copyright United Pr« «"> Association. London, Juno 20. At the Imp trial Conference to-day Mr L. Ha-root ft (Secret.try for the Colonics) presiding, Si: Joseph Ward, Bart., mown in tiio dirertion of the Dominions being entrusted witn full powers in respect to the employment of iascars and otter aliens in ships 'trading between t.'ro Dominion and .Britain and other countries. Lord Orewo (Secretary for India) iiiigjjcsted the passi'iihty of the Do minions acting within tlio resirietions imposed to make t.ie admission of India ns easier and pleasanter tha n now. Tin's would do much to improve the relations with India. Otherwise wo wore fat from (icing a united Empire . If the Dominions displayed a friendly spirit, the best pu-ha-opinion in India would do its best to peacefully solve any • di men i vies arising.

Sir J. G. Ward, Bart., in moving tiie resolution, said. t..at Now Zealand entertained a loyal friendliness to India. The resolution was directed against tlio low-priced coloured race competing with British-man-ned strips in New Zealand waters. Lord Crowe had admitted the undeniable right of tlio Dominions in regard to citizenship, but if tlio present conditions continued there were two alternatives. New Zealand shipping must transfer its registrations to a place where they were not subject to the lav., and employ lascars •at low wages, or repeal the whole of the laws passed in the interests of white crows. Father preposition was unthinkable. Personally, ho believed New Zealanders felt they uitgl) 4 to urge upon all the imho? i.r policy of every colour going bar; ' ' its own zone. &ir J. G. Findlay said the owTh-:; was not at all racial, hut ec-timmi.-. Sit W. Lamicr supported the *w,lion, declaring he was not to impair the spirit of loyaU.- . i native populations, so as to mak to cliflictilt for Britain to mainf -■ good relations; but the fact rein.-.ihi. moment Asiatic labour competed with white labour it disturbed existing conditions and seriously . jeopar dised tiro Empire. It was not a matter of colour prejudice, but the Asiatics had a different civilisation and living standard. . Lord Crewe desired, before Sir Joseph Ward submitted tire resolution, to refer the question to India and came to some conclusion. The Conference could not discuss any «!morion t mope diffiento or critical than tud* tr; raiment of the native race within, tiro Dominions. Ho pad previously expressed the opinion that tnc- differences between the whites and natives seemed to threaten not only the well-being but the actual existence of the Empire. In one sense the question was insoluble. Tire Government recognised tire absolute imposiinifii.y of a free interchange between all the subjects of the Crown. Nobody disputed the Dominions’ right whom to admit to citizenship. It was also recognised that it. was easy for Britain to underrate the difficulties confronting the Dominions, because she was not troubled with a similar problchi. The Do-, minions had two separate but closely interwoven objections, namely, the largo influence of the native population, which might moan rivalry with cheap labour; and secondly the coloar bar. Indians, by pride of descant and personal qualities, claimed consideration, and submitted that while the problem might not lie solved by hemic legislation, relations might Jus materially improved by the cnltivaiion of mutual understanding. India always did its utmost to explain to Indians their position in the Dominions. They wore untitled, on I'm other hand, Lo ask the Dominions to make known in their ow areas the widespread fooling in India about the treatment of their people, a fact which those objecting to British in India did not seldom use to damage the Government. Mr Batchelor declared that iffAustralian view- was similar to New Zealand’s. There had been much agitation in the past, through a misunderstanding of the Dominions’ position. . They were anxious to remove the anomalous restrictions, but they must consider local necessities. Mr Pearce said ail their shipping laws aimed at was to prevent foreigners having an advantage over their own shipping waters., Dir Malan stated that tlio labour aspect troubled Canada, Australia and New Zealand, but self-preserva-tion was not a labour question in South Africa, where the overwhelming African population made it impossible to allow tire introduction of 1 another coloured race. The problem as far as tire 'employment of lascars was concerned was chiefly the labour difficulty, but. from the Indian standpoint the difficulty was not diminished.. Sir Joseph Ward said the difficulty was not racial but economic. The Indians had the undoubted right to deal with their own economic condiions, and they could not legitimately complain at Now Zealand doing tlio .same. Lord ,Crewe, referring to the suggestion as to coloured people remaining in their own areas, stated that, as Colonial Secretary, lie ha,d instructed tiic commit toe to ascertain the conditions for encouraging emigration of Indians to tlio Crown colonies. He hoped good results would accrue. That was a move in the suggested direction, but tlio probability of the different races being conlined to their areas was a larger question. Mr Fisher regarded the motion as an admission that the* Dominions did not -possess the fullest powers now. Ho disagreed With that view. The motion was adopted, the Australian representatives abstaining ■loin voting. SUEZ CANAL DUES. v Loudon, June 20. Mr Fisher moved “That', as tin* Suez Canal dues constitute a ho.i charge, tending to retard (rale wp 1 in t.,he Empire and other countries, the Conference unites the Home (to,vornment to continue their efforts to obtain a substantial reduction.” 'The motion was carried.