HIGH COMMISSIONER

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 54, 1 September 1926, Page 14

HIGH COMMISSIONER

DUTIES AND STATUS OF THE OFFICE

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

A EEVIEW BY SIR JAMES ALLEN.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 31st July. On various decasions during the past few years Sir James Allen has made important pronouncements regarding the office, the status, and tho work of tho High Commissioner. His statements have been adequately reported in the New Zealand papers, but subsequent discussion in Parliament or in the columns of the daily papers has too often revealed that politicians and other leading men have not troubled to. bring themselves up to date regarding tho developments in the High Commissioner'sDepartment. Important changes have taken place during Sir James Allen's tenancy of the office. Dennito new customs have been adopted, the status of the High Commissioner has been regulated, and tie attitude of the Homo Government towards the Dominions and their representatives has altered considerably .t % The present time—the close of Sir James Allen's term of officeseems appropriate, therefore, to refer again to some of these changes, and to point to some facts which should be known by any who may in the future publicly discuss the matter. . Sir James has been good enough to reiterate his opiniona on some phases of tho subject.

New Mealanders in London havo had the opportunity -of seeing how the personal prestige of a High Commissioner is reflected upon the country he represents. During the past few years the prestige of New Zealand in this country has been raised considerably. This is not altogether ■ on account of the merit of the Dominion and its Government. New Zealand has been fortunate in the.choice of representatives. First there has been the High Commissioner himself. But there have been others. The men of tho ' Expeditionary Forces have left an indelible impression on the minds of British people. There were the members of the All Blacks, whose demeanour on this side did much to build up the reputation of the Dominion; and there was the Commissioner and staff of the New. Zealand section of the Empire Exhibition. Again, there have been the representatives of the Meat Producers' Board. It is this fortunate personal representation which has given New Zealand such a good name in Great Britain'to-day.. On this matter, however, Sir James Allen confined himself to one statement.

"The High Commissioner," he said, "should be a man who can put aside party politics, and who is able to consider himself not only the servant of the Government but of the people of New Zealand. It is most important that his term of office should be a definite one so that he does not necessarily retire if the Government is defeated." ", ...

AN TIN-SATISFACTORY POSITION. Prom this there arises the question of communications, between . various Governments. The position at. present is unsatisfactory, and for that, so far as our Dominion is concerned, the Government of New Zealand is entirely rosponsible. There are certain, matters which pass from the Government here to the High Commissioner, and so to the New. Zealand Government. But there 'are other messages and documents which pass direct from the Prime Mm ister, the' Foreign Office, or the Domin ion Office to the Prime Minister of the Dominion. Sir James expressed himself strongly on this matter.

"My experience as a Minister and as a member of Parliament, and also aa High Commissioner has led mo to think that there is no shadow of doubt that the best course is to trust,tho High' Commissioner implicity. If the Dominions select the man as I have indicated they must allow him to bo in touch with all correspondence which passes between this country and the Dominion. There are parts of the last. Imperial Conference reports which I have only recently discovered, on' subjects about which I ought to have known. There are cablegrams passing between tho Prime Minister of this country and jthe Prime Minister of tho Dominion of which I know nothing. Tho position is quite wrong. New Zealand can remedy it. I know that the Foreign Office is quite willing to disclose anything it sends to the Dominion Government if only tho latter would give the High Commissioner power to receive those communications. The Dominion has not yet awakened to the fact that here they have the opportunity of keepine in touch with the Home Goveriijient during the intervals between Imperial Conferences." • . .

"There is another side to the question of communications—the receipt of tjio High Commissioner's communications by the Prime Minister. There have-been incidents in the past which would bo ludicrous if they had not been so serious. Important cewvunications dealing with Imperial matters of the highest importance have been received in New Zealand and shelved by officers who have failed to appreciate their significance Some meant for consideration of the Cabinet have not reached any Minister of the Crown. Sir James sees in the new Prime Minister's Department set up by Mr. Coates a means to obviate any suc h serious omissions as have occurred in the past. "I imagine," said Sir James, "that the intention is to givo effect to tlVn External Affairs BUI wMch 1° p U t hrough Parliament. The idea is that the Prime Minister should hold no other portfolio but that of External Affairsthat he should create a staff which would enable him to deal properly with external questions,. including Ids relationship with the British Government, with the High Commissonor's Department, and with possessions outside Now Zealand like the Boss Sea and the Pacific Islands. The Department would receive all communications from outside They would be allotted tQ the varioU g Ministers, ana then, what is most important, the Department would receive the answers and see that they were dispatched. ''

"SHEER NONSENSE." From timo to time thoro has been ill-considered talk about appointing two representatives in London—a High Commissioner, who should devote himself entirely to diplomatic work, arid in addition a Trade Commissioner. "That is sheer nonsense," said Sir James. "You cannot separate the functions. The man who comes here trusted by his Government must be.at the head of the diplomatic section, and of. trade matters. In the League of Nations itself you can draw no clear line of demarcation between its diplomatic work and what pertains to trade. You cannot separate tariffs from diplomacy. The best way is to appoint as secretary of the Department a man who knows the business side of the High Commissioner's work. This is what has been done in, this office, and it works very satisfactorily."

The reception of New Zealand ■ visitors to London was mentioned. "It is impossible to see everybody," said Sir James. "You can only do your best. The High Commissioner would bo dolighted to sec them all, but ho has not got the timo. In the same way, he would.be delighted to obtain invitations for all who desiro to attend important social functions such as the Eoyal Garden Party. But only 120 invitations are allowed, for this, and. ho has to

make a selection. It is a very invidious task, but he has to do it."

ON A PAR WITH AMBASSADORS,

As for the status of the High Commissioners they now take precedence immediately after the Secretaries of State, and before the other members of the British Government. They havo, the privilege of introducing their own people to the King and Queen at garden parties a_d State functions; a matter, by the way, that has only just been set right. They are now free from the payment of British income tax, and they receive rebate of taxation on their private houses and official offices. There is one matter which is likely to be hoard of further —the question of a permanent home in London for the High Commissioner. Sir James has more than once Tecommended that the High Commissioner should bo provided with a home or the means to acquire a homo. At the present time no High Commissioner without private means is in a position to keep up the dignity of his office. . . CONFERENCE OF HIGH COMMISSIONERS. An important development in recent years is the conference of High Commissioners.' "At the time that arrangements were being made for the Wembley Exhibition," Sir James went on to say, "the other High Commissioners asked me to represent them on the Exhibition Board. I then took the opportunity of carrying out what had long been in my mmd —to get the High Commissioners to come together. During 1924 and 1925 we met mainly for the purposes of the Exhibition, but wo realised the value of these meetings, and we determined to keep them going. We have found them of extraordinary value. We meet and talk over our mutual difficulties, and :wo get to know one another and to know the position of the other Dominions. We are doing a great deal, in my' judgment, to cement'the bonds of Em-, jpire.-"

Recently Sir James Allen drew up a series of recommendations regarding Imperial matters for the guidance or consideration of the Imperial Conferr ence. The recommendations.were considered by the High Commissioners in conference, and those adopted have been forwarded to the respective Dominions Governments. .

Every week the Secretary of State for the Dominions and Colonies (Mr.; Amery) meets the High Commissioners in conference. These meetings have proved most, satisfactory to all concerned. Immediately afterwards, Sir James dictates a report on the meeting, which is forwarded to the Prime Minister of New. Zealand. No doubt the other High" Commissioners take similar action. . . SENIOR DELEGATES AT THE ' : LEAGUE.

Before concluding his survey, Sir James touched on one or two other subjects. He reaffirmed his contention that the High Commissioner should be the senior delegate at the •Assembly of the League of Nations. . He is the permanent ('Dominion representative in London, and he should get straight into harness. Should another visiting Minister take precedence over him at the League meetings it is bound to injure the prestige of the High Commissioner to some extent. .'•■•'■

Finally, Sir James again referred to his recent warning regarding disarmament. "It is evidont that the question of disarmament, is coming up for discussion again," he said. "And that will mean a consideration of naval power. I disagree with the one power standard for the Empire in regard to battleships,. as'■ was ; arranged at the Washington Conference. If the question of the reduction of cruisers should come up at any future conference it would be entirely, wrong, in my judgment, to adopt a one-power standard, based on a comparison -between one. other country and the Empire. It should be between one other country and Great Britain." ■ .