IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 43, 15 November 1926, Page 9

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

MOST OF SPADE WORK COMPLETED LAST WEEK HOPE FOR SOLUTION OF MIGRATION PROBLEM DOMINION CONTRIBUTIONS FOR NAVAL WENCE Empire defence.is to be considered at a plenary session to-day of the Imperial Conference and the discussion is expected to centre around Dominion contributions. Mr. Coates is reported to regard favourably the share that New Zealand , may have to bear.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.

Loudon, November 12. Much of the .spade work cf the Imperial Conference has been completed as the result of an unbroken week of committee consideration, and the plenary session of the Conference on Monday is expected to begin registering decisions or issuing'statements. Virtually the only remaining brake on the’ Conference work' is the treaty puzzle. To-day’s communique was laconic: “Some progress was made by the sub-committee on treaty procedure.” One of the lawyer members later qualified this with the remark: “Perhaps we did gain about two inches, but that’s something.’-’- . ’■ Otherwise, discussions are going on with the utmost smoothness. Mr. Bruce told of work on migration at a public meeting this afternoon, and; said that it was ’ the most practical conference in the'Umpire’s history, and would produce the most effective solution of Umpire migration yet conceived.

The Australian- Press Association gathers that the chief achievement on this point is that intimate discussions have created a better understanding of the Dominions’ difficul- , ties in more rapidly absorbing newcomers. It is admitted that as far as Australia is concerned,' it will be necessary for the Commonwealth to seek afresh to enlist and co-ordinate the States’ activities, so that a reduction of fates for specialised classes may be taken up with the Imperial authorities. Discussion on Imperial defence on Monday’s plenary session is likely, to centre around Dominion contributions for naval defence. While Mr. Coates favourably regards the'.’share of it that New Zealand may have to bear, the Australian Press Association understands that Mr. Bruce is not finding the position so easy, since Australia has committed herself to building two cruisers and two submarines and also a floating dock. Mr. Bruce is unable to dismiss from his mind the extent to which the Commonwealth has pledged itself to support the Singapore Base, and he mav have to tell the Conference that his Ministry may have to consider the matter in that light, coupled with Australia’s own commitments and the more difficult consideration of political expediency. . . The Nationalisation.. Committee -is considering its final summing-up. The plenary meeting of the Conference on Monday will receive the Economic Committee’s reports. FUTURE OF THE EMPIRE SOLID FOUNDATIONS LAID (Rec. November 14, 5.5 p.m.) Loudon, November 12. Brilliant speeches distinguished a dinner given by the ’• Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the Empire to delegates to the Imperial Conference. Lord Kylsant presided, and the guests included prominent British commercial men, the High Commissioners, and Agents-General. Lord Birkenhead proposed the toast of “Overseas Dominions.” After an optimistic reference to the coal strike negotiations he said: “The ideal of Empire is that one of its members, whether in Winnipeg, Dublin, or Sydney, is the fellow of the whole. The time has come for realising the conditions under which a community such as ours can survive. You cannot confine sentiment in a. straight waistcoat; I would • approach the,future of the Empire in the spirit of that amateur cast which .rehearsed vilely but always knew that when the night came it would turn out properly.” After reviewing tlie Empire’s part in the war, Lord Birkenhead said that the greatest desire to attain a decision marked the Imperial Confer-

ence’s discussions, many of which would lead to lasting harmony. Mr. Bruce (Australia) declared that every participant in the Imperial Con- | ference appreciated the obligation to contribute' to the. unity arid prosperity of the Umpire; “The fundamental principle emerging from our experience,” he said, “is that'we shall maintain the people’s standard of living. We are no ’ longer prepared to accept prosperity gained by a great volume of overseas trade • and foreign investments if it is 1 achieved through the sufferings and degradation of pur own people. We.in Australia have established this p.rin- j ciple and hold it most sacred. The ■only way the Empire can achieve it is by developing the Empire’s resources. The Dominions desire to co-operate in this direction. ’ The responsibility rests . on Britain, which must set her face towards tl;e task. The present Conference will be regarded as one that did i something to stir the British people. to increase production and distribution and to co-ordinate > scientific research. Great things should flow from the lead thus given. Britain must look into the ; future and think in terms of the future. You must make uj> your minds vfiiat vou are going to do.” Mr 'Coates (New Zealand) urged the visualisation of the Empire as a unity, and pointed out the. trade opportunities ; of the Dominions, in which chambers of commerce could help. Mi'. ’Monroe (Newfoundland) advocated development of the economic side ' of the. Conference... ‘-'lf we are united economically, socially, and politically," lie said, “the end can take care of itself.' The Dominions’Should buy from ( Britain,- and vice versa. Newfoundland has the world’s greatest deposit j of; iron ore, yet -Britain imports iron from Spain and Sweden, and we have to sell to Germany.” ■ Mr. Havenga said that SoutS Africa included the descendants of two stub- . born, freedom-loving peoples. They would not accept any appearance of domination imposed upon them, but as long as the present constitutional position was appreciated, as it was by Lord Birkenhead inside the Confer- . ence, thev would find a ready desire to. shape'the South African people’s > determination to retain association with the British Commonwealth of Nations. - Mr." L? Amery '(Dominions Secretary), in proposing the toast of “The Federation of Chambers of . Comis practical and real, it had laid in perial Conference would prove memorable. It started without great hopes of results which appeal to the public imagination, but with a sense of .what is practical and real it had laid in more than one direction solid foundations for the future; TROPICAL AGRICULTURE (Rec. November 13, 5.5 p.m.) London, November 12. Mr. Coates: and Mr. Bruce were among the Dominion, guests at a luncheon given in honour of the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture at Trinidad, which, according to the chairman, Sir Arthur Shiplev; dispatches trained students all over .the Empire. . Despite the large proportion of the. Empire which is in the tropics, he said, tropically trained agriculturists, eutomologists and mycologists were scarce. The tropics had a limitless supply of vegetable alcohol, wliich might be the cheapest source of energy in future. He did not hesitate to ask-the Dominions for assistance, “because the wheel that does the squeaking is the wheel that gets the grease.” Mr. Coates promised that New Zealand would consider (lie question of rendering assistance. The l Dominion representatives inspected , models and photographs of the college, also stores in the Haymarket, where ; they saw an admirable exhibit of Empire products.