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(b) Of tlie decisions of His Majesty's Governments in Great Britain and in the Union of South Africa to carry out a series of experimental flights to connect so far as possible with this latter service ; and (c) Of the decision of His Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth of Australia to arrange for flights by the Royal Australian Air Force from Australia towards Singapore to link up with similar flights of the Royal Air Force from Singapore towards Australia. (2) Recommends that the development of other air services should receive the early consideration of the Governments concerned ; and that in this connection particular attention should be paid to the maintenance of existing and the construction of new aerodromes so far as local resources permit with a view to the ultimate creation of a complete system of Empire air routes. (3) In view of (a) The great potentialities of the airship ; and (b) The present lack of constructional and other facilities which must prove a serious obstacle to the early development of regular airship servicesrecommends that the Governments of the Dominions concerned and of India should examine the possibility of erecting nucleus mooring-mast bases to be available for demonstration flights in 1928-29 by the two airships now under construction, and of instituting such preliminary meteorological investigations as may be necessary to facilitate these demonstration flights ; and that His Majesty's Government in Great Britain should consider the erection of a second shed at the Royal Airship works at Cardington. (4) Recommends that an Imperial Air Conference should be held in 1928 or 1929 —the precise date to be determined later —at some suitable Imperial centre, to report progress and to consider what further action can be taken for the development of Imperial air communications ; and takes note with appreciation of the invitation of the Dominion of Canada that this Conference should take place in Canada." These resolutions were unanimously adopted by the Imperial Conference at its fifteenth meeting on the 19th November. The statements made at the opening discussion and the report of the subcommittee have been published.* XVII. OVERSEA SETTLEMENT. The subject of oversea settlement was examined by a special sub-committee presided over by the Chairman of the Oversea Settlement Committee in London (Lord Clarendon). Their report was considered and adopted by the Conference on the 19th November, when the Prime Ministers of the Dominions most closely concerned —Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, and New Zealand —expressed their appreciation of the advance which had been made in practical co-operation since the Conference of 1923, and emphasized the earnest desire of those Dominions to further the peopling of their countries with settlers from Great Britain up to the limit of their capacity., As was pointed out at the previous Conference, however, the rate at which the redistribution of population within the Empire can take place must be governed by the rate at which the Dominions can satisfactorily absorb new settlers ; and it was generally recognized that a sound policy must be based upon scientific and carefully considered schemes designed to secure the settlement of suitable persons under conditions conducing both to their own well-being and to the prosperous development of the Dominion in which they are established. The Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa pointed out that while South Africa was anxious to increase its European population, and had in the last few years taken further measures to encourage the settlement of white people on the land, the position there was a special one owing to the large native population, and it was necessary that settlers coming to that country should have a fair amount of initial capital.

* See Appendix V.

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