IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13289, 18 May 1907, Page 5

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

PRESS AND OTHER COMMENTS.

Copyright—May 17th, 9.8 a.m. LONDON, May 16. The "Chronicle" says that the-Confer-, .ence was unusually fruitful compared with its predecessors. Mr Haldano, speaking at a. meeting in London, said that the Government had shown in the Conference that th?. Liberals had a constructive' policy. They had done a great -deal of business, and laid the foundations .for a great deal more. Twenty suffragists howled Mr Haldane ■down, and were expelled amidst great excitement.

STATEMENT BY SIR R. BOND. Copyright—Mav 17th, 9.40 a.m. "LONDON. May 16. Sir R. Bond, on being interviewed, said : ' : I received a most respectful hearing from the members of the Government, and most sympathetic support from the other Premiers. The Imperial Government did not meet Newfoundland's reasonable demand, but I hope they will use their best endeavours to undo the mischief which" the-"'modus vivendi" regarding the fisheries occasioned. T trust the embarrassment and humiliation to which the colony has been subjected will not be repeated .by a renewal .of the arrangement." He added that the "modus viv ? endi" had led to a.disregard of Newfoundland? s constituted, authorities.-- He was deeply disappointed at the result of his appeal for justice. ADDRESS BY SIR W. J. LYNE, Copyright-.—Mav 17th. 9.50 p.m. "'> * . LONDON, May 17. Sir W. J. Lyne, in addressing a meeting of the Australasian Chamber of Commerce, regretted to find in London that those who owed all to Australia, were not .standing forth to help Australia. The-Premiers at the Conference represented more than 15,000,000- white people who wished to give preference. In the conference the British Government's action had been negative, "from the start, with a view to negative everything Australia wanted.. The action was not entirely offensive, but "a sit still sort of we won't do it • attitude." The officials gave a very good precis when Ministers spoke, and a very bad precis when others spoke. He hoped that the Blue Book would soon be, published, for it would show the .public the efforts which had been made by the Premiers to get the British Government'"to do something. 'They'met with an almost".-offensive negative by two members of the Conference. The'first was Mr Asquith, who had a case and worried over it like. a brief in court; the second was Mr "Churchill, who was against Australia all the. time., so far as preference was concerned. One man who helped much, both at the Imperial Conference and the Shipping Conference, was Mr Lloyd George, who helped to take the rough edge off his colleagues' refusal. The Conference had been ventilating—nothing more. He hoped that things would be different before the next meeting, for if the present Government, did-not alter their attitude they wquld.be beaten. SIR W. J. LYNE REBUKED. Copyright.—May. 18th, 12.7 a.m. LONDON, May 17. The " Daily Chronicle " eays :—" Sir W. J. Lyne's remarks were sadly lacking in restraint.; even in courtesy. Mr Asquith's address 'at-'-the Conference was unquestionably trenchant, and if Sir W. J. Lyne cannot answer it, it- were better to leave it alone.' We welcome discussion, but there- should ba as little direct infusion of party spirit as possible." REPLY TO HON. MR FOWLDS. - THE FEDERAL PRIME MINISTER. Copyright,—May 18th, 12.33 a.m. MELBOURNE, May 17. ■Mr Groom,, the Federal Attorney-Gen-eral, characterised the statements reported to have been made at Wellington by.the Hon. Mr Powlds, New Zealand's Minister for Education, as certainly most remarkable. Perhaps; said Mr Groom. Mr Fowlds would realise when, he got into closer touch with Sir J: G. Ward that there was a closer identity of aims be : tween him. and Mr Deakin .than he (Mr Fowlds) anpears to have any idea of at present, Australia would never attempt to dictate what should be the policy of Britain, but Australians always had and hope they always will have, no hesitation in stating what their beliefs and _ ideas, on matters of Imperial concern which directly or indirectly affect Australia, are. ilf the policy adopted by the Australian Prime Minister was" to- be continued a party in favour of severance from the colonies would grow up. and all he could say. was that any action taken by Australian Ministers had b"en inspired by the loftiest- ideals* and thoughts for the unity of the Empire. The general trend of Sir W. J. Lyne's views was in accord with the ideas and sentiments of the vast majority of the people of Australia. The allegation that he was lminvfted to the Conference was absolutely baseless, and probably would be resented by the Imperial authorities them-w-lves. "No matter what might' be said ri's regarded the following of Mr Deakin the fact remained that he was Prime Minister when he fcffc Australian shores, and possessed of the full confidence of the Australian people. The only explanation of Mr Fowlds' extraordinary remarks' was that they had arisen from preconceived opinions and a want of knowledge of Australian conditions.