MR. HUGHES AND IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 171, 15 April 1921, Page 5

MR. HUGHES AND IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

PROPOSALS CRITICISED IN FEDERAL PARLIAMENT. /Rec. April 14, 7.30 p.m.) Melbourne, April 14. •In the House of Representatives speeches of the Opposition and .Country Party leaders criticising Mr. Hughes’s proposals for submission to the Imperial Conference disclosed nothing seriously adverse thereto. The Anglo-Japanese Treaty was approved, but the need for caution was urged in dealing with it and th American interests involved—Press Assn. [ln a speech in. the Federal House of Representatives on foreign policy-and the Imperial Conference, Mr. Hughes said ’uore could be no Empire under a Republican Government. The future peace of the world depended on some understanding between America, England, and France. "In securing' the friendship of Japan wo cannot make an enemy of America. The Dominions should have a voice in the Empire’s foreign policy, but they can not accept the Anglo-Japanese policy if it involves sacrifices. The treaty FTTi not be worth anything if the British Navy sinks to tho level of a fleet of a second-rate Power.” The Commonwealth Parliament at the Imperial Conference would not be committed to a penny of expenditure over the naval scheme, which wouTfl I>e brought before Parliament aiuJ rejected or accepted. For Australia there was no alternative io participation in firn scheme of Imperial naval defence in tTie’' interests of Australia. It was important that the Japanese Treaty should be renewed in some modified form acceptable to Britain, America, ami Japan. There would bo no discussion on constitutional matters at the Juno Conference-. the conference next year would deal with that. He declared that hope for the future peace of the world seen - cd to lie in some understanding between America, England, and France, the League of Nations was an unwieldy and clumsy contrivance. There.was only one wav to prevent war. and that was that the -world should turivils liack upon it.]