The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY. FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1911. IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Waipa Post, Volume I, Issue 14, 2 June 1911, Page 2

The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY. FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1911. IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

THE efforts of Sir Joseph Ward to bring into existence a new council or responsible body to deal , with matters touching the defence of the Empire in its various parts, does not appear to win favour with The Conference of Premiers. We are fully persuaded that a new system of dealing with these matters is needed, but we are not prepared to say that the method proposed by Sir Joseph Ward is by any means the best method that could be adopted; in fact, it was clearly pointed out by the British Premier that such a method was unworkable, and Sir Wilfrid Laurier very promptly stated that Canada would not give any support to it. At the same time we aver that it was a good thing that Sir Joseph Ward brought the matter forward, and no doubt the discussion which has evolved will do a vast amount of good, and would open the eyes of a great many of our countrymen at home to the importance of the Overseas Dominions. And we do not despair of a new and more up-to-date system being brought into operation. The combined wisdom of the Imperial Conference may not readily see its way clear to adopt an entirely new method of dealing with matters touching the welfare of the Empire ; but we are sure of this, that suggestions would be offered and accepted that will leave the old methods of the Colonial Office far behind. The average British statesman is a most conservative individual, and particularly if he has not seen service in the distant parts of the Empire. And it is right to go slowly in matters involving such important considerations, but a scheme that will bind together the widely different interests of our world-embrac-ing Empire is not easily found, and when found will need to be put into the crucible of criticism, and subjected to all manners of tests. While our Premier has not been successful this time, we may yet see important developments and very great improvements in the method of dealing with the affairs of the Overseas Dominions that will make us extremely thankful that the matter was brought forward.