The Dominion. MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 1914. THE DOMINIONS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1949, 5 January 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 1914. THE DOMINIONS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

Whex lie was invested with the freedom of Newcastle recently, Sin Edward Grey._ Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, took the British public, somewhat guardedly, into his confidence in regard to the duties and responsibilities of the important Department which he controls. Tho philosophy of foreign policy which he sets forth may oe regarded upon the whole as covering the Imperial interests satisfactorily enough. Sir Edward Grey's principles or rules of policy are as follow : —

"(1) A Foreign Secretary should do his utmost to prevent any political changes or combinations likely to threaten from outside the security of our Empire,, or the communication between its separate, parts. "(2) He should do his utmost to prevent the Empire from drifting into an increase of responsibilities and especially of territorial responsibilities. "(3) It is his duty, by co-operation of the Foreign Office K ' tti tlse Board of Trade, to promote and encourage our foreign commerce, and to dn all that he can 'to keep doors open, to smooth its path,' alwav.9 reinomberins that the service ho can render commerce is the maintenance of pcaeo and the avoidance, not merely of actual war, but eveu of ap-. prehensions and anxiety. "(i) Finally, the Foreign Secretary should u«e the humanitarian influence of this country (Great Britain) to promote the humani'larian objects of Hie world,"/ There is nu specific mention he roof the right of the Dominions-; to ha considered in matters of foreign, policy, arid the absence of any other reference, than that in the first paragraph to their rapidly increasing interest in questions of diplomacy may he considered a little discouraging to thos". who are anxious to sec the outlying parts of ...the.. Kmvjire

. :Po)icy,|^;sum>n.krisoy?Bta:temeift; ;;^'f; ti i?S v s , :H»|Bs?principles ; r' "iindefjyingl !n"condueting;her'jd!pl'omatic;i:iffrsirs'i Ii a s cl i fio t$ ti ii VgC d. Vi '. ; *h. itraati i .nip.ii s:',- as'iso' ™» WSjyyoilngeivfjlch! 1 cjFen!-;.: - ; ~c pin i o Jia van r i #dcs iresvyd y. ■( the , ; Hon4.'J ALLEp?dii'rings ; ;the 'second4.readingSa , ebaieS|ippn||the, Naval and ''-while ,inagnify|m-ihciriimm§liale>'importv ancc the"'deta'il. -, questions : whichftho : raised '-.in:-relation' questions: of Foreign^Office Dominions;, it mustihe' hedd'tliathis ut--terance r : : ;.t,hrows:'.some;. light;; upon ; the: position::, Mn.'vALLEJf.- had' lately turned '"lw ! ,hrtd facilities' for. conferring.:; the Imperial authorities as the accredited representative:' \of ,-j his ment, ■and,;,on : .the'6ccasidn:i;:ni: > tion, after'- expressiiig : |:the ;q bpinion that the. proposal ;; to'?establis'h /an Eastern Fleet' of Empirc,"\whieh''.the Imperial'.Government had."abandoned, vflis strategically ,so.i.mcl,,.wcnt on' to remark: '.s}:■}/%■?'s■&l~-*>-"~- .■ "There are . other.'questionsiwliiclu'aroof extreme importance to *us and which; from our point,of.n-iew.-;d0.,.n0t-receive the consideratiori^which'-;New'.'- Zealand statesmen .. have a right: to expect, thev. should receive;**l refer to diplomatic questions concerning tho;Paciflc. upon which' .our representative men ought to havojnn opportunity oj>.expressing an.opinion in conference wiCS life Imperial authorities. Looking back over the history of 1 diplomatic and foreign questions in tho Pacific jisre can be only one'answer that a New would give to tho question: 'Are you satisfied with what has been done in.'-the'■)past?'.; I come to .the;,prcseuttimc, and ask whether Vo.-'aro,.satis-fied with tho jM.sition.of-the .Ncw"HcbrUles and' with, other ..matters ' in . the Pacific of importance 1 to'' us, ..'which 'the Mother Country,■ because of,the. condition of sea-power, in the Pacifie"'"and her, position elsewhere, is unable to'help; us 'with'. Supposing we want, as we New Zealand-; ers do want, a coaling- station, between here and Panama, what can we do to secure it? If it involves-foreign relations or diplomatic questions with ,■" another country, then it is put. on one.side;.and I say this is not satisfactory. to us in these southern seas." '-~ * . ..C.,

These remarks .. of a-'responsible Minister, coming fresh from immediate contact with the Foreign Office, must be regarded as- to some'extent significant. It seems reasonable, in, the circumstances, to'-assume -that the Dominions have,not yet succeeded in making- their.';weight fclt_ at the diplomatic centre-of the Empire, as thoy. will no .doubt -do.': in'the future. There is a 'certain 1 'peril in reasoning by,analogy, :but.:ifc is possible that just as •-the W Mother Country has narrowed.-.her naval outlook by deciding to' concentrate the effective strength's .of"the; Fleet in Home waters, and;'-'is'--leaving it to the Dominions - to -police-, more distant seas, she may be inclined to be guided in questions, of diplomacy too largely by considerations affecting her ■ relations with foreign Powers. Obviously such a- policy has its limitations- in an Empire, in which the outlying portions are waxing in -importance ■■_ every day, Th-e Dominions are junior partners, but they arc not mere pawns in the game, and even • thus early in their career it is just as well that the fact should he recognised. If the Foreign Office is to do all th.it' can bo done in maintaining and ' strengthening the must • receive ..- impulses from the outermost .limits of the Empire as well as from its heart, and no. .diplomatic policy''"" that travels only on-lines.leading . from London to the point of impact with a foreign Power will prove.permanently satisfactory to the Empire _ as a whole. We hive no sympathy with those who are prepared to rush in with ill-digested proposals for revolutionary changes in the relations of the Motherland ' and the overseas Dominions in the matter • of. the shaping of the foreign policy .of the Empire, but there is room (nevertheless for. a closer and- more sympathetic - .relationship., between, the Foreign Office'and the outer portions of the Empire. ' -\ . «>.v ■ ' : :: #'.v>