The Dominion. SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 1903. A GREAT STEP FORWARD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 170, 11 April 1908, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 1903. A GREAT STEP FORWARD.

A GEEAT triumpli has-; at last been achieved by the long agitation of the self-governing members, of the Empire for the ,of "the Colonial yoice" in air Imperial treaties affecting the interests of'the Dominions. A new arbitration treaty has been drawn up _ between Great Britain and the United States, airid there., has been, attached: to it a proviso under which Great Britain reserves the! right, before concluding a special agreement in any mritter affecting the interests of one of her self-governing' Dominions, to obtain, the concurrence therein of the Government of that Dominion.' In ,this remarkable admission of a new axiom of Empire there is subject for rejoicing to every Imperialist, for although the ' proviso is) primarily a charter of freedom, to Cinada, it embodies a principle /which cannot be withheld from all other Imperial treaties in the future;- It is'true that the proviso still leaves Great Britain free to conclude a special'agreement even when the concurrence! of Canada is withheld, but the storm that was provoked by, the New Hebrides Convention is the best guarantee that the proviso is not intended to .be given such a casuistical reading as that. In the case of the New Hebrides, the British Government ' maintained that it had "consulted" Australia arid New Zealand. This was literally true, but it was pointed out with indignant emphasis all over the Empire that that could not ,be called "consultation" which was_ simply an intimation that the Imperial Government intended to do something, and to do it whether the concurrence of the consulted party was obtained or not. It is inconceivable that the Government can again make the pretence'of subjecting its arrangements to a /' concurrence" which it means not to .'treat as an essential condition of action. We may,' therefore, take the ,proviso in good faith as a frank and final resolve to give the autonomous Dominions a measure of control over the Imperial Government in those arrangements specially affecting their interests. '' Canada, of course, has special reasons for desiring better treatment in the treaties between Great Britain and America. In a speech in Toronto oh September 26 of last year, Sir Wilfrid Laurier declared that "our diplomatic relations carried on by the British Government have not been so successful as we could have wished them to be. 'If we take the record of the diplomacy of/ Great Britain so far as Canada is concerned; it has' been a sacrifice of Canadian interests." Those were strong words, but they state not only the general opinion of the Canadian people, but also the plain fact of the matter. Competoat English observers Ime assured the British pub-

lie that the future relationship of Canada to the Empire, and the willingness of Canada to remain in the Empire as a helpful " elder brother," will dapend on the treatment that Canada receives from the British people. The Canadian joints bitterly to the eastern, to the middle, to the western boundary, to territory which by right, lie says, should have been Canadian soil, but which was sacrificed, all of it, that Great Britain might remain on friendly terms with the United States. The decision of the Alaska Boundary Commission still rankles in Canadian hearts. _ Soreness, too, is still felt over the action of Great Britain in overriding the laws of Newfoundland with ( a " modus vivendi" on the fisheries question, although in that case Newfoundland's position was l weakened by the motives which inspired the statutes directed at the American fishing rights. With Canada, the whole question is one touching the national pride. When,-Sir Wilfrid Laurier made the speech from which we have quoted, a section of the British Press rebuked the _ ambitious aspirations of a : Dominion dependent upon the British Navy. To this the "Montreal Star," which _ was considered to represent Canadian opinion on the matter, replied strongly to the suggestion that Canada should "crow very low." "Our understanding," said the" "Star," "with regard to the navy is that Great Britain is to-day 'putting up' a navy for both of us while we create new' provinces, build new transcontinental railways,. construct new canal systems —all of use .in the military sense. If this does not imply that we have a right to expect protection from the British navy when we need it, and our quarrel is just, the sooner we know it the better for all concerned." The recognition of the rights of the oversea Dominions is no more than the due of nations which, though they have no Navy, and no equality with the great Powers with, which the Mother Country has dealings, are nevertheless deserving of the authority earned by their Imperial work in accumulating a vast treasure of civilised equipment and assembled population., The new rule which has been laid down will do much, to put in better heart the' overseas Imperialists who have been depressed by, the continued neglect which their. interests have suffered at the hands of the Colonial Office. As partners they will'be more zealous for the consolidation ofthe Empire than 'they could be as servants and subordinates with no rights in . these matters to be. respected'. The proviso is a great step forward, and one which cannot but work to the advantage of the Empire as a whole. The occasions are not <so numerous on which; a Colonial Cabinet will guide the hand of the, British Foreign Office that British diplomacy will suffer any material disturbance, ' or any material embarrassment. , The Dominions ; are growing into great nations, and we are rapidly approaching the time when we can say that an Imperial treaty that can only .be concluded ; by running counter to the wishes of a ; Dominion .is a bad'treaty for the Empire.,' The Dominions _are now .given ; an assurance that their interests in the matters of trade ,and immigration are secure from injury by diplomatic expediency.. It is a bracing thing to find tjiati sane Colonial zeal and persistence must succeed if, only continued long enough, and the present development is not only greatly to the credit of the British Governmeiiti but a feather in the- cap of Colonial statesmanship.. .