MR HUGHES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16510, 22 August 1921, Page 7

MR HUGHES.

PRAISE FROM ENGLAND. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received August 22, 10.10 a.m.) LONDON, August 21. Mr Hughes’s efforts in England have ended for three months. He worked at the highest pressure with only one brief interval, when he was in Devon and Cornwall. His triji to Wales was nominally private, but it provided not a moment’s leisure. The visit was net so spectacular as former ones. Only the lack of time prevented Mr Hughes from making another glittering social success. His oratory and influence were in demand beyond human capacity even had circumstances permitted him to respond. The Conference lasted fifty days, with morning and afternoon sittings frequently lasting after seven in the. evenings. The week-ends were packed with proposals for submission to the ; Conference and consideration cf argui ments to support them. ! Next to Mr Lloyd George, Mr Hughes was the dominating influence |at the Conferencf and his opinions | carried great weight, although he did not always get his own way ; for in- | stance, on the naval defence question, I when Mr Hughes advocated strongly j that, if the dominions asked for. the i ight to decide their foreign policy, | they should pay their share of the cost !of an Empire navy on a per capita { basis. Numbers were against him, j however. | The only colourless resolution passed | was the one leaving Australia and New j Zealand to make tlieir own arrange- | ments with Britain for tlie defence of j the Pacific. I Mr Hughes was one of the first to suggest to the. Conference the question of disarmament. A quotation from one of his earliest speeches is nowmade available. It reads: “Let us give .‘i world that is weary of war and staggering beneath its crushing burdens a lead and -invite the United States. Japan and France to meet us. We ca nnot hope the world will beat its sword into a ploughshare, hut. at any rate, it can stop building more warships.” 1 Mr Hughes was determined on a clear advocacy of the necessity lor improved Imperial communication and a. strong appeal for a renewal of the Anglo-Japanese treaty, and his advice on foreign affairs and reparations were reflected in the resolutions and approved. His attack on the proposal to hold a constitutional conference in 1922 was an exposition of tlie evils likely to attend interference with the present loose? arrangementss. and resulted in the idea being dropped. Mr Hughes leaves on Tuesday for France on a tour which includes Vil]ers Bretonneux. Bapaume, Poizeres Mont, St Quentin, Peronne and Churgnea, together with a dedication ceremony at the Australian divisional monument in the Amiens Cathedral. Referring to his visit. Mr Hughes s .,vs: “ T regard it as being most successful, if only from the viewpoint of having prevented certain things being done. To have stopped the proposed i constitutional conference is something of which one might justly be proud.”