THE DOMINIONS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18229, 13 November 1924, Page 11

THE DOMINIONS.

DEALINGS WITH BRITAIN.

NEED FOR IMPROVED REPRESENTATION IN LONDON.

(BT GABLE—P3.ESS ASSOCIATION—COPTSIOKI.) ("TITE TtKEs.' )

LONDON, November 11

•The timo is over-ripe fcT frarik recognition that the Colonial Office is no longer an appropriate channel for the business of the Dominions,says "The Times.''

The problem ct the relationship betfl eon Britain and tha Dominions can only be soLved by the adaptation of tho established principles implied in Dominion status, to tho existing machinery. Mr Amcry, whoso first-hand knowledge oi the .Dominions enables liim to realise the importance of the overdue reform, would not be best employed in preventing any infringement of the status tho Dominions won, seeing tiiat tho Dominions have not forgotten any Cabinet decision concerning them. '"The Dominions should cease knocking at the open door, and come right, in, and u.so their opportunity by replacing administrators by diplomats and appointing ambassadcTs instead of agents-general, enabling Great Britain to adopt a more consistent attitude to the Dominions' representatives. Such reorganisation should bo based on the development of tho Imperial Conference as a council of equal nations represented by Prime Ministers, eliminating tho Colonial Ofiico as the focus of tho selfgoverning Kmnire and diverting the Dominions' correspondence to the Prime Minister.

"If Mr Amcry can persuado tho Dominions that their weight in world affairs depends on the quality of their representatives in London, he may eliminate attempts to mere closely define the relationship between tho Motherland and her Dominions."

RELATIONS WITH AMERICA.

(AUSTRALIAN" AND X.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.)

LONDON, November 11

Sir Auckland Cicddes, formerly British Ambassador at Washington, in an outspoken address at a meeting of the English-speaking Union, said that the Dominions spoke of Britain as the, Motherland. The term was affectionate in intention, but gave a feeling of old age, if not of senility.

America exercised an influence on the Dominions in a way no British influence affected America. It often happened, when the Dominions looked to Britain and found no sympathetic answer or understanding, that they then looked to Washington and found their difficulties, in many cases, better understood there than in Downing Street.