BRITAIN AND DOMINIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 85, 1 July 1927, Page 7

BRITAIN AND DOMINIONS

DISCUSSION IN COMMONS IMPERIAL RELATIONS IMPROVED By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright LONDON, Wednesday. The Dominions vote was before the House of Commons to-day in the committee stage of the Finance Rill. Mr. J. lan Macpherson, Liberal member for Inverness, referred to in-ter-imperial relations. He said it would be a signal failure to attempt to set up a super-council to sit in judgment on the Parliaments of the Empire. The problem was how to continue to reconcile the autonomy of the paxts of the Empire with the unity of the whole. Improved methods of consultation must be devised. One proposal was to create a permanent secretariat. An- ' other was a wider status for High ! Commissioners. Mr. Macpherson said the Liberal Party suggested a sort of Empire j Parliamentary All-Party Conference to meet once a year, on the lines of the preliminary commission which met before the Disarmament Confer - ! ence. CEMENTING RELATIONS Sir J. Marriott, Conservative member for York, asked if there was any change in Imperial relations. If so, what was its nature? Had Britain abandoned anything? If so, on whose authority? The member said he doubted whether it was wise to “let loose a metaphysician” upon the Constitution of the Empire. He was afraid that was as dangerous as Athanasius in theology. Mr. T. Johnston. Labour member for Dundee, said a preliminary Parliamentary conference might easily unconsciously develop in the British way

& & * * * & & ?:• jiginto the dream they all held of an Imperial Parliament to deal with Imperial concerns, leaving the constituent Parliaments home rule in their own Mr. Hugh O’Neill, Conservative member for Antrim, said he hoped Sir J. Marriott’s questions would not be answered. He felt that the inter-im-perial relations report from the Imperial Conference was a great State document. On the whole, it was constructive, net destructive. Its result would be to improve, not to make worse. Imperial relations. THE PERSONAL TOUCH The Secretary of Sta.te for the Dominions. Mr. L. S. Amery, in replying said the unity of the Empire would be immensely strengthened by personal contact. However, until airships had reduced distances they would have to be content with conferences every two or three years. The Government was most ready to consult the representatives of the Dominions to the fullest and freest extent and not to hold information of any kind back from them. If there were any general wish for a permanent secretariat there would be no difficulty in giving effect to it. In the meanwhile the machinery for direct communication and consultation was being improved all the time. The change in the relationships between Britain and the Dominions was one of the most profound and remarkable that had ever taken place. It had occurred step by step, every Imperial Conference for the past 40 years having marked an advance. STRENGTHENING OF UNITY Continuing, Mr. Amery said the Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, hoped to renew on the spot the personal contact he had established at the recent Imperial Conference with the Government of Canada in the course of a few weeks. Mr. Amery said he himself hoped in the next few months to renew contact with the various Dominions. He would deal with outstanding problems between the British Government and the Governments of the Dominions which could better be settled across the table than by telegraphic communication. By laying down the principle of absolute equality between the Dominions, and their unity under a common Crown, the Imperial Conference had marked the great turning point of the Empire and the essential unity of the Empire had been strengthened. The vote was agreed to.—A. and N.Z.-Sun.