IMPERIAL DEFENCE

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1935, Page 5

IMPERIAL DEFENCE

PRIME MINISTERS TO CONFER. MEETING EARLY IN MAY. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, April 23. The Dominion Prime Ministers’ Imperial defence and European situation discussions with the British Government will begin early in May, when Mr. R. B. Bennett (Canada), Mr. J. A. Lyons (Australia), Mr. G. W. Forbes (New Zealand) and General Hertzog (South Africa) will meet Mr. Ramsay MacDonald and Sir John Simon. There will be no prearranged agenda, but Sir John Simon will survey the most recent happenings in Europe, after which general informal and private discussions will take place. No details will be published. The Prime Ministers will also confer with the committee of Imperial Defence, including the service chiefs.

LITTLE TO BE DISCUSSED. EMPIRE DEFENCE QUESTION. Rec. 7.15 p.m. Ottawa, April 24. London despatches stating that an Empire trade and defence conference is contemplated create little interest in Canada on the grounds that Canada has nothing in particular to discuss. Mr. Forbes said he saw no necessity for discussion of Empire defence or of foreign policy of the United Kingdom. New Zealand was kept informed of the progress of the negotiations with Germany and the other European nations. When Britain was at war no discussion took place in New Zealand as to participation or participation in a future war involving the Empire, which was the greatest agency for peace in the world. New Zealanders were confident Britain would always be on the side of peace and would make no commitments that were not absolutely necessary. “We do not have to discuss -those things,” Mr. Forbes added. If another war broke out he expected New Zealand would act as promptly as in 1914, and there would be no necessity for calling Parliament to decide what should be done.

Mr. Forbes is the guest of the Earl of Bessborough, the Governor-General, at Government House at Ottawa. He will leave on Thursday for New York and. sail on Friday for London. He said he was studying trade between New Zealand and Canada with the greatest interest, and he declared there was undoubted evidence that increased attention was being paid in Canada to New Zealand products. There would be important repercussions on exchanges of goods generally.