CHANGE DENIED

Taranaki Daily News, 10 May 1935, Page 5

CHANGE DENIED

EMPIRE RELATIONS CONSULTATION METHOD i SUBJECT NOT DISCUSSED SUGGESTION BY PAPERS MR. MACDONALD’S REPLY By Telegraph—Press Assn—Copyright. London, May 8. An informal agreement is likely to be reached to-morrow between the British Government and Dominion Prime Ministers on a new Empire foreign affairs plan enabling Britain to take swift decisions on behalf of the Empire without waiting for the consent of the individual Dominions, according to forecasts in the Daily Mail and the News Chronicle. . The News Chronicle says a condition is that these decisions must not involve a departure from the League Covenant. It adds that the Dominions, however, will retain the right of either ratifying or refusing to ratify the decisions which seem to involve them in military commitments. The‘Daily Mail says that owing to sudden changes in the European scene it is now thought that the British Cabinet should have a free hand to act without committing the Dominions, which will only be Called on to give their views in cases of emergency. The News Chronicle says the Dominions broadly sympathise with the new plan. The Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, stated in the House of Commons that there was no truth whatever in the statement that a change in . the existing position in regard to Dominion responsibility and obligations for foreign policy was contemplated. The subject had not been mentioned at any of the discussions with the Dominion Prime Ministers now in progress. This was the normal course of imparting information, especially regarding the international situation. “The Government in the United Kingdom stands firmly by the principles governing the system of consultation in relation to parity negotiations and the conduct of foreign affairs • generally, which have been agreed to at successive Imperial Conferences,” said Mr. MacDonald. “These principles are well recognised and are in unquestioned operation.” “It is of the utmost importance, especially for public opinion in the Dominions, that there should be no mistake whatever about the system in practice. The clauses of the report of the proceedings of the 1930 conference, summarising these principles, are as follow: — (1) Any of His Majesty’s Governments conducting negotiations should inform the other Governments of His Majesty in case they should be in-, terested and give them an opportunity of expressing their views if they think that their interests may be af(2) Any of His Majesty’s Governments on receiving such information should, if it desires to express any view, do so with reasonable promptitude. (3) None of His Majesty’s Governments can take any steps which might involve the other Governments in any active obligation without their definite assent.”