THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20101, 3 December 1930, Page 4

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

0 | EMPIRE ECONOMIC UNITY. |

COMMENT ON MINISTER'S STATEMENT. (OJHM I'SBSS association- nt Ei.ncraic TKr-EOEAFH—COPTIUOHT.) (Eccoived December 2nd, 5.5 p.m.) 'LONDON, December 1. The Prime Minister o£ Canada, Mr R. B. Bennett, discussing the Imperial Conference, said that the delegates separated in tho earnest desiro and hope that the Ottawa Conference would enable the discovery of some means of common acceptability for an Empiro Economic Association. He added: "Mr J. H. Thomas must bo taken as having condemned the principle which all tho Dominions approved, a specific illustration of which was advanced when a move was made to remove the debates from purposeless and unprofitable generalities. Mr Thomas condemned it despite the resolutions which the Conference passed, despito his own Government's statement of policy, and despite the fact that the Conference bad not seriously discussed cither tho principle or preferences or my own plans to make them operative. Ho also condemned it without offering a positive alternative proposal. I regret to refer to his statement, but there is no other course in justice to Canada and the cause of Em pire economic unity, for if the statement indicates tho British attitude towards Ottawa, I have little hope that any agreement which Canada may reach with the Dominions will include the United Kingdom. Time is running against us. If Canada's proposal is to be thus contemptuously rejected, Canadians can only embrace other means at j hand of further strengthening her economic position."

PRESS COMMENT ON SPEECH

(Received December 2nd, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 2. The "Daily Telegraph" describes Mr Bennett's statement as crushing, such as never before published during the history of the relations between Britain and tlie Dominions, in spite of periods of transient disagreement. "Fortunately Mr Thomas's speech binds only a Government which, tottering for a fall, haß been dealt a fatal blow by this revelation," says the newspaper.

GENERAL HERTZOG'S COMMENTS CAPE TOWN, December 1. Tho Prime Minister, General ilertzog, was given a municipal welcome on his return from London. Ho said that ho had every right to assert that his mission to the Imperial Conference had borno fruit. He would have liked to have got more facilities for disposing of South Africa's products in Britain, but, knowing the policy of tho British Government, Soutfi Africa's expectations had been met, though not ner hopes. He anticipated further progress at tho Ottawa Conference. FAREWELL VISIT. (■Received December 2nd, 7.10 p.m.) LONDON, December 1. Mr J. H. Scullin, Prime Minister of Australia, visited the House of Commons to-day, where he said good-bye to tho Uritish Prime Minister (Mr Ramsay MaeDonald) and other Cabinet Ministers.

RT. HON. G. W. FORBES. VISIT TO IRELAND. LONDON, December 1. The lit. Hon. G. W. Forbes, accompanied by Mrs and Miss Forbes, has arrived at Kingstown, and was received by the Minister for Defence (Air Desmond Fitzgerald) and tho President's and Governor-General's aides.