IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1930, Page 5

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

A PAPER'S VIEWS

[ United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copy righ t. j

MOTION, Sept. 29

The “Morning Post” in an editorial say,3 all members of the Imperial Conference are in the same boat, and we might add that the boat is in a beay sea. and shipping a good deal of water. Whenever we look ithen’D is bad trade, industrial and agricultural depression, and financial anxiety. Delegates should all get down to practi--cal measures for saving the ship. Our troubles are economical. If the Conference can devise means for helping one another to live, the 'Governments represented will have done something to justify their existence. If they turn aside into bitter barren debates on constitutional questions they will only give istill further ground for discontent of the political system. The editorial suggests the Conference concentrate on preference problems. ;

; ALL DELEGATES IN LONDON. \V READY iFOU;,OPENING. ; (Official .Wireless.) (Received this dav at noon.) . - RUGBY, September: 29. AVith the return from Geneva of Foreign Secretary (Hon .A. Henderson) all of the United Kingdom delegates to the Imperial Conference are .now in London,

/'This will be the first occasion oil which a British Labour Government had .participated in an Imperial Conference. Four years "age,, when the last was lield, Air Baldwin wa.s in power.

I Tjie Irish Free, State .delegation will arrive to-dav, and the Cqijadian delegation to-morrow. At Wednesday’s opening, the Minister’s, incluuing six Prime Ministers, from eight countries separated. at their widest points,by 15,000 miles, will nave assembled to discuss divers questions of common interest on such matters as -inter-imperial relations, foreign policy arid defence and economic problems. - A-:... . The delegates represent United .Kingdom, Irish Free State, Australia,. Canada, New Zealand,> India, South Africa and New Foundland.:;

Air MacDonald. will preside an.d . will deliver the inaugural address. At AVednesday’s opening the proceedings will be private, full reports being issued afterwards. Most of the Conference work will be done by committees appointed to consider specific subjects.

BUSINESS OF CONFERENCE.

. RUGBY, September 29, Mr Thomas (Dominions Secretary) outlined the main issues before the Imperial Conference, to journalists today. At the outset he emphasised that it was a family:-gathering. While it was true that each had it s separate interests, all were .working together in a common interest and. in pursuit of common ideals. One of the. main items would be. consideration of the Dominions attitude on inter-Imperial relations, and another general international security and disarmament, while the economic outlook of Empire in particular and the world in general would be another of the topics discussed.

QUESTIONED BY JOURNALISTS

(Received this day at 12.25. p.m.) LONDON, Sept; 29. When Mr Thomas invited questions, to which he reserved the, right not to reply, an American asked.—Would the conference affirm the right of secession ? “There.would he no question of it,’’ said Mr Thomas. “No one will question anyone’s right to secede but if you said you had a right to shoot yourself, I might argue with you about the wisdom of doing so. Secession is more important to some of you than to those attending the Conference, because this is the first I have heard of it.” Mr Thomas denied an answer to an elaborate reference to the economic issues in which the questioner sought a statement. It was in relation to protective duties and preferences. Mr Thomas contented himself with saying that every phase of the economic life of the Empire was hound to be discussed.