PLAIN SPOKEN SPEECH.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 13 June 1924, Page 7

PLAIN SPOKEN SPEECH.

Sir James Allen’s Criticism.

FUTILITY OF IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

By <^able —Press Association —Copyright. (Received 5.5 p.m., June 12.) LONDON, -June 11. Speaking at a luneneoii iu the New Zeuiand section at \vembiey, Sir James Allen said the position in regard to the preference resolutions, had caused general disappointment in the Dominions and the colonies,. while there was grave unrest in New Aealauu and Australia as the result of, the abandonment of Singapore Naval Baso scheme. He urged the desirability ot removing the delect in the constitution of the imperial Conference, by seeming that the Prime Minister and other delegates represented their Parliament and the whole of their people. There seemed to be no reason why, after discussion in Parliament, or between the Leaders of the Parties, the representatives at the Imperial Conference should not be placed in a position equally strong, as representatives in the War Cabinet. He also advocated provision of better liasion machinery by appointing High Commissioners to receive and give information to the Prime Ministers or. Foreign Office, and ensure the; rapid transmission ol information and advice to. his Government.

The “Morning Post,” commenting on Sir James Allen’s “remarkable plain spoken speech” says: “Between them Mr Snowden and Mr Macdonald have sickened the Dominions of conferring together, for where is" the sense of coming from the world’s ends to investigate and settle, questions of policy if the whole work is to be upset "because there is a change of Government?”

Speaking at a dinner tendered to. him by a number of prominent Australians, Sir Robert Horne paid a tribute to Mr Hughes, as a protagonist of. trade. Personally he was neither pro-* tectionist nor free trader, but simply a business man. But he wondered howanyone could be so foolish as to destroy preference. - 1