The Guardian (And Evening Star with which is incorporated the West coast times.) MONDAY. JULY 9th., 1923. IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 9 July 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star with which is incorporated the West coast times.) MONDAY. JULY 9th., 1923. IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Ix tin* course of the debate in the lion-e. on the approaching Imperial Conference, the 11011. W. F. Massey said one of the first subjects to bo discussed at the coming conference' probably would be Imperial Customs tariils. The British Empire could produce eve'.v tiling we required and lie advocated a policy of self-reliance. Dependence 011 other Countries would bring us back to the position in which we found ourselves when the war broke out. He therefore advocated measures of Imperial preference. He did Hot al-

together like the term conference*, lie 1 referred the. term Ini] rial Council, which devoted its attention to the consolidation of Imperial interests, and la.* v.is'ied it imdersto <1 that il lie went to the conference lie would go there fut.y determined to maintain the integrity of the Empire. Diter-Lmpttc eontimttiieat 10ns vva- another subject which was found to come tip. lie

wanD*d to see n faster steamer servne. Imp in view of the liiiam iat position

j iic was not prepared to make costly rt'Cintimendationr. on that subject. \\ iroj less was also coming swiftly. coming into 'competition with cables. and wo soon | would lmvc to m.iko important dorisioiis in ibis connection. Development of airships wits an important, factor !n inter-Empire ronimunirathm, but airships were not. yet snfficiontly developed to warrant a large expenditure upon definite lines of communication. With :t quicker steamer service difficulties in connect inn with the Imperial Conference would be greatly reduced. Re also looked to the time when conferences would bo held in different parts of the Empire. British stalosmon know very little of dominion affairs and that, ought to bo remedied. Empire migration would also bo discussed. He wanted to see New Zealand kept a white man’s country, but the reasonable terms now existing with regard to Indians coming to Xcw Zealand could bo maintained without violating that principle. ’With regard to trade with Russia his position was that if anv country wanted to trade with Russia let thorn. He did not suppose that Xcw Zealand would want to trade with Russia, hut we should not stand in the way of other countries doing s■>. He saw no need for a standing army in Xcw Zealand, for he believed we could aiways got men when we wanted them. The British navy was another matter that must bo maintained if we did not want to see the Empire go to pieces. If the Empire went to pieces the disaster following would Ik? unthinkable. The British navy was the world’s greatest guarantee of peace, and we must maintain it in such a state as to be equal to any other nary. That was not much to ask. The Washington Conference. had left plenty of room for trouble if nations chose to take advantage of the openings. The British navy must., therefore, not bo allowed to fall below t.he standard of safety. Considering what the I’nitod States were doing at Hawaii it was incumbent, upon us to set up a naval base at Singapore, and no protection could be of greater value to Australia and New Zealand than a base at Singapore. Intricate constitutional questions dealing with the making and signing of treaties also would have to lie considered. Where self-governing countiies wore concerned in the malting of treaties ho believed they would have to ho given the privilege of signing the treaties along with a representative of the British Government and a representative of the other country concern- j ed. As partners in the Empire, we had not yet obtained the full privileges of partners. As a dominion we were not yet given the right of direct communication with the Sovereign, and tnis, lie thought, we ought to have, with .necessary safeguards. Further, if the Empire became involved in war ami any part of tbe Empire refused to participate in that war ho supposed nothing could bo said, but ho did not support that position. IF the Empire went to war all parts of the Empire should support her, otherwise the Empire soon would lioeome dismembered. On the subject of reparations his sympathies were with France. Possibly the .Allies had asked Germany to pay too much, hut Germany started the war and Germany must pay. She could not possibly pay all the damages caused, hut she must pay what she could in payment of war debts. Britain was standing up to her war obligations with America, and that was a point on which every citizen of the Empire had reason to be proud. He gave the House all the information in

his power, hut if lie went to the Conference he was not going with his hands t* "I. for lie would not l>c put in a n isiti.m humiliating to himself and to the country ho represented. Concluding. he advocated the formation of an Imperial Council, the duty of which would 1,0 to devote the whole of its attention to Empire affairs, with a view to consolidating Empire interests. Resolutions passed at the Imperial Conference wore only obligatory upon any dominion of the Umpire if and when they were approved by the Parliament of that* dominion.