WASHINGTON TREATIES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2470, 22 August 1922, Page 4

WASHINGTON TREATIES.

RATIFICATION AGREED TO. STEPS TAKEN FOR WORLD PEACE. WELLINGTON, Aug. 19. When 'the liouae of Representatives resumed at 7.30 p.m. the Premier intimated that She proposed to take the debate on Sir J. Salmond’a report on the Washington Conference. In opening the discussion, he paid £ tribute to the manner in which New Zealand was represented at the conference. To give effect to thie treaties it was necessary that they should be ratified by Parliament, and he proposed to move in that direction later on. One of the greatest results of the conference was doing away with’ the competition between the great Powers in building capital ships. He referred to the fact that the battlo of Jutland had disclosed defects in many of our capital ships, and to overcome the defects disclosed some of the nations began building ships of greater power than the world had ever seen, and it was feared that Britain would have to join in that competition. This now would happily be avoided. There were some things, however, that the conference did not do. It had not limited the number of light cruisers any nation might build, nor had it limited the construction of sumbarines. This he would liked to have seen, but the fact was that the submarine was not the great menace of the futyre heouuse it woe beaten before the war ended. THE PART OF AIRCRAFT.

lie then dealt with the important part that aircraft are likely to play in the next war, and then passed on to discuss the Pacific Treaty as explained by Sir J. Snlmond. Continuing, Mr Massey said he believed the time would come when war would bo no more. That time was not yet, but when it did come it wduld only be by a combination in which the three great Powers would say to those inclined for war that their disputes must be referred to an independent tribunal, namely, the League of Nations, the setting up of which he regarded as the most forward step yet taken in the interests of peace. ' POSITION OF THE DOMINIONS.

Dealing with the constitutional position of the Dominions at Washington, where the Dominions had no separate representation, hb said that ho was pleased at what had taken place there because where tho Dominions had separate votes they might have difference of opinion and vote against each other, which was not in the interests of the Empire, and ho entirely approved of the fact that at the Washington Conference the Dominions were there as units of the British and not as separate countries. There was a paragraph in Sir J. Salniond’s report which dealt with the importance of being prepared with our scheme of defence, and he read the recommendations of the Admiralty as to what was expected of New Zealand in naval defence, and if those recommendations were carried out we would have nothing to fear for tlie future. New Zealand was bound to do her share in the defence of the Empire. Wo were oommitted to that in principle, though the details were not yet settled. r l hat would have to be done in future. The Empire existed by virtue of sea power; once our communications were cut that was the end of the Empire. Our duty was clear, and he did not doubt that when the time came New Zealand would not bo behind in matters of naval defence. PARTNERS IN THE EMPIRE.

When tho first War Cabinet was called the Dominions were made partners in the Empire, and while we had the privileges of partners we had the responsibilities of partners. Our domestic policy must have ths first claim upon our attention, but there should be a continuity of the Imperial Conference. If the Imperial Conferences could meet every year, it would be well, but thero were difficulties in the way and he believed that tho ultimate phase would be some development of the Privy Council, which would become some sort of Imperial Council which would deal with Imperial affairs. He had no wish to disparage the League of Nations, but it had no power behind it, and it might lead to a sense of false security. What he would like to see was a combination lead by Britain and America, which would be powerful enough to enforce peace upon the world. ESCAPES DURING WAR.

Referring to the history of the past few years, he said the escapes we had during the war were simply marvellous. It looked as if we were being- specially protected, no< that we were better than tho other peoples of the world, but he believed we were being specially protected, and part of the purpose for which we were being protected was to bring general peace to the world and to hasten the day when men would beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks, and learn tho art of war no more. He moved that the House of Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled assents to the ratification by His Majesty of the Washington treaties as negotiated by the plenipotentiaries at the recent Washington Conference. SUPPORTING THE EMPIRE.

Mr Wilford, in seconding the motion, said the Liberal side of the House yielded to no one when it came to supporting the British Empire. In his opinion, the first great result of the Washington Conference was that the perils of Anglo-American antagonism were averted by frank discussion; secondly, that the different parts of the British Empire had responsibilities; thirdly, that it revealed a sincere and spontaneous identity of purpose by the four great Powers. It had got rid of the AngloJapanese Alliance, which was a source of danger. -It had produced a paper peace, and it showed that the first great test of good faith was disarmament. Mr Holland said that at all times the Labour Party favoured restrictions on war and wa3 prepared :to support every movement favourable to world peace.

After the supper adjournment the debate was continued by Messrs Parr, Atmore, Stewart and Hanan, and the motion moved by the Premier was agreed to on the voices.