The Dominion. MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1919. OUR PLACE IN THE EMPIRE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 21, 20 October 1919, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1919. OUR PLACE IN THE EMPIRE

Bills making what provision is at present possible for the government' of ex-German, Samoa, under the prospective mandate to Now Zealand from the League of Nations, gave rise to an interesting debate in the House of Representatives on-Friday. Such questions of island government as were raised call meantime for little comment. Opinion was rather sharply 'divided on one issue, that of indentured labour, but the division seemed really to be between those who are content to fasten upon, what is unsatisfactory in existing conditions and those who wish' to promote an orderly change, with as little delay as possible, to better' conditions. It- may bp taken for granted that public opinion in this countrv will demand the extension of the fullest protection to all workers employed on the Samoan plantations as well ns of the .native inhabitants of Samoa. The main interest of tha debate - arose _ from the references made by Ministers and other members to the new status New Zealand has assumed within the Empire and what, is implies and involves. Mr. DownieStewart, for instance, cited the dictum of constitutional authorities that the right to'decide the issues of peace and war is the final test of independence, and argued that the signing of the Peace Treaty on behalf of New Zealand, though it had been regarded by many people as a new link of Empire, might be the first and most important step towards complete independence. He went so far, indeed, as to maintain that from a legal viewpoint v,the signing had been an act of separation and not uf union, and had created an anomalous position which foreign Powers sooner or later would want defined. The able Member for Dunedin West might have been expected to realise that the developments ho criticised represent the only obvious way of escape from a hopelessly ano malous position. Thp essential point to he made is that the arrangement under which the Dominions are concedotl an independent, or all but independent status, is the only apparent alternative to tho restoration of conditions which are now unthinkable—conditions in which the Dominions followed Britain blindly and without representation, not only on issues of peace and war but on all questions of foreign policy. On paper, the assertion by tho Dominions of their individual status as nations within the Empire may bo regarded as a step towards separation. The actual effect, as far as can be judged at present, has been, as the Prime Minister claimed in Friday's debate, to strengthen f.f\i unity of the Empire and make it better assured than ever before. The continued unity of the Empiro is not to be secured by relegating the Dominions permanently, to a nosition subservience, but_ must ho secured if at all by establishing the conditions that will make for a smooth-working alliance of partner nations. There is, of course, no way of evndim; the responsibilities which development on these lines entails, but it seemß to be selfevident that the arrangement under which the Dominions arc given individual representation on tho League of Nations, and may on occasion be represented on tho Executive Council of that organisation, makes such reasonable provision for the smooth development of interImperial relations and of relations with Powers au was markedly lacking in the conditions that before the war. At bottom the unity of the Empire restß now as always upon the free inclination of- its people, and, determined as it is alike by sympathy- and interest, there is no reason to suppose that this inclination as it makes for unity will weaken with the march of time. It has to bo recognised, however, that the component parts of the Empire have individual as well as common Imperial interests, and no deadlier blow could be struck at Imperial unity that in attempting to ignore this patent fact.

In working practice questions are bouni.l to come before the League of Nations at times in which one or more of the Dominions are vitally concerned, and the rest" of the Empire only remotely. 1/ Britain alone, so far as the Empire is concerned, had a voice in the League of Nations, ,t,he Dominions could not be adequately represented when such ojtestions were under consideration. Directly represented, they will have every opportunity of securing a just and ecmitable settlement. Mn. Downie Stewart asked what was going to be the position of New Zealand in the futuro if the Dominion disagreed with some Eastern Power regarding Samoa, for exaniole, and its views did not agree with I hose of Canada. The example is very far-fetched. Its weakness as an implied criticism of the new order that, is taking shape is perhaps best brought out by asking in what w»y sueii difficulties, if Uiey arose, would In; Accentuated iiv the exulence of machinery permitting ready consultation and discussion by the countries of the J'"mpire_ amongst themselves and with foreign Powers. It seems very' plain that anomalies in the treatment of international questions and even the danger of conflict with

ether nations would be far more likely to arise if the Dominions were content to rely in helpless dependence upon Great Britain in regard to all matters of foreign policy. Such dependence is clearly incompatible with the needs of a group of growing nations, each of which is pursuing unhampered its own line of development, though it is united in clos:; sympathy and in broad interest with its partners. Full sovereignty is not claimed by any Dominion. "Ivo Dominion," Mr. Massby Friday night, "has power to make either peace or war." The power, perhaps, is non-existent only because it has not been asserted, but it is (|uite reasonable to hope and .believe that it never w/l be asserted. The demand of the Dominions for an effective voice in foreign policy is not. merely consistent with the unity of the Empire on issues of war and peace, but seems to represent the only method by Which this unify can be ensured. Mn. Alassrv had so'iiethinc; to say in genonil terms about the neeessitv of drafting a Constitution that would be suitable tn the changed circumstances of the Empire. Whatever elsj niny_ be accomplished in this direction it is evident that the time has rone by when any Dominion could be content to be represented in London only by a commercial and official ' ,o v>resentative,. Constant renresent-nSion in the. Mother Country bv a responsible. Minister is the minimum demand of the conditions now established.