ANVIL TO FORGE EMPIRE CONSTITUTION.

Otaki Mail, 9 July 1923, Page 3

ANVIL TO FORGE EMPIRE CONSTITUTION.

DEBATE ©N IMPERIAL. GQ.NFKR.BNO: a. WELLINGTON, Last Niskt. i. This evening; the House was devotee 1 to a discussion of the Imperial Com ference. Mr Mass'ey, who opened the debate said it was always understood tha i any decision must be validated bj , Parliament and the countries con- . ~cerned. For the last three years, the Premiers had been kept fully informed of the cour«* »f events, of foreign affairs. He was sorry to say he had been v. üble to read ai. the communications, which, by the way were confidential. In speaking of the eeonomia position of the Conference he said he was yiad to .tee the increased tendency of P.riti<di countries to come together, ax they had certain dities as j well as privileges, and it was well to I remember the Umpire to which we bci long was capable of producing- everything-, it was simply folly to open j our doors to sou dries who raised tariff barriers against us. If we did i>al. w e would lind ourselves in the position we were in when war broke out. Britain had depended largsly on foreign cunt- ".cs foj- commodities .-id when w r came, she experienced a shortage. He had honed at one time tor great progress in the Imperial Conferencc. lie thought thiat in lime, there would be a Council of Empire, the principal duly of which would be to assist in the development of the Empire. If he went to the Conference he went rsolved to do all he could for the unity and development of the Empire. SPEEDING L'P SHIPPING. As to united Empire communication, he considered that on the whole the shipping was good, but the time occupied between New Zealand and Britain was too long. When we saw thai a vessel had made the run from England in 3G days, we said it wjis] a good run, but the Atlantic beats could do the journey easily in Jess than :;o dtv s. However, he was not prepared to spend money on shipping just at. prexevt. Airships Had possibilities, but he was not very confident of them, doubling if they would stand the rough weather. He realised that there would be tremendous development, in aeroplanes, and improvements that the public were not acquainted with, had 'boon made since the la-st war. Aeroplanes, would in Ihe future lie used largely for commercial as well as war purposes. The time occupied in getting from here In England was too great and if it could bo shortened the Imperial Conferences would be held oftencr, and that would be a good thing. He looked forward to the time when the Conference would meet in the different countries of the Empire. There was no earthly reason why there should not be a met ling at Vancouver. One of our difficulties just now was that our Imperial Ministers w*re insufficiently acquainted with the <'irBumstances of the Poniinions. He could not l-'-eollect n single. Tmp'crial Minister who had been out to the .Dominions, except the Duke of Devonshire, who had been Governor of j Canada. j MIGRATION. Tie sub.itcl of iiainlgriifion would! come before the Conference and ii was a subject that secupied considerable time at the last Conference. 1-1 o was going to advocate Empire ! migration if lis went to the Conference and lie was very strongly »f the opinion that we should keep New Zealand a white man's land. The representatives of the Indian Gorernment have been very good in regard to the proposals of the X*w Z*s.l».*d Government that TndiiMi* should »r' feme here, unless with the consent: of the New Zealand Government, except when on holiday or touring for their health, on which occasion, they could stay for six months. Tic did not know whether tic matter of trad* with Ruesis would come before the Confersiaoe. Somk matters did not come before the Con- | ference because the Imperial Gov- j eminent said that they wcr c solely 1 British affairs. He would take up the posit'"!-* thfit if any country wanted to trade with itusisa. it should be allowed to. He saw no reason why Russia should i it h ■ :> v. r.l on the same level as Germany. He thought the cables would have to be maintained for some time, a." they were more reliable than wireless. All the same, there had been tremendous development it; wireless an* Noi Zealand could not afford to lag behind the other countiws of the world. New Zealand would soon have to communicate with ether portions of the Empire by wireless and would htrjve to make up its mind whether this communication was going to oe via India or Canada, PARLIAMENT S APPROVAL.. Mr Massey said lie saw no need for a standing army in any of the British countries, but he strongly approved of the Singapore Naval base. He did not agree that signing the Peace | .Treaty made the Dominions ind upend- ! sat nations, but he thought Dominion representatives should have the right to be present when communications I were being made to the Sovereign on Empire matters. He concluded by moving": "That the resolutions passeel at tha Imperial Conference are only obligatory on any Dominion of the'Empire if, and when tier are approved by the Parliament of the Dominion." THE COMMETtCIAE ASPECT. The leader of the Opposition (Mr T. M. Wiifortl) seconded the motion. Apart from the Empire sentiment, there was a commercial aspect. The Imperial Conference was not a conference of Governmnts. but of the Prime Ministers, and he said no higher h»nour could be conferred than to go to the Conference as a delegate from I this portion of the Empire. He did j not agree with what the Prime Minister had said when he observed it, i might be found to be & matter of i Imperial politics. He looked on tha 1 Conference as the anvil on which-tie ' new constitution of ths Empire had I to be hammered into shape. We claimj ed a. share in helping to mould the ' affairs of the Empire, and that was the idea of tha Conference. The Coh- ! ference was not only for a roynd i tabl* discussion, hv.fi* furnish xne 1 British U*vernr,ie«H will the opinion. iof tie Dominions ef tim Empire. He i put it to tie Prime M-iaKtor fiat anj ' secret treaty was a .brfertcE of trust, |or a breach »f faith. Ths rlgkt oi I-reUitsl to jU.ml out *t wars v-23 ex- ■ 7m«ty I iime occurred in the constifcwhoi i sranteS *o Malta. 1 COMMON FOPvKI«-» FOL.ICT.' -' Whjw Mr Hughe* rtyresantod A.UB-

cide its foreign policy. Mr Wilfor contended that we were entitled I be consulted on all foreign affairs. I Mr Massey: "We are entitled nc I only to be consulted, but to have ; J voice." s ' Mr Wilford said wc had to see tha our delegates were alive to ever move of foreign policy, because ther was no move that did not affect th British Empires and if it affected th Empire, it affected us. The delegate should know everything that was go ing on in which wc were concerned We had to understand that we mus take our part in the affairs of tin Empire and shoulder our obligations I The Prime Minister saw no objectioi to trading with Russia, Imt Russia ui to the prosent had not accepted tin terms laid down by the Allied PowerWe would play very little pari in tin reparations and our share would !j< infinitesimal. tie hoped the whole matter of reparations would be referred to the League of Nations,- which lie hoped, would yet become a more real thing. "lie regrt-tted that tin Prime .Minister did not say more about (he Kconomic Conference. As far as X"w Zealand and Austra.ia were concerned, they stood on widely different planes respecting de- ( fence. New Zealand's safety lay In rtrifl maintenance of the British Em- ' 'ure audits life depended on the main-u-mince if Hi<> trade routes. What the Prime Minister was required to do was to see if he could being about unity of policy. What the Prime Minister should carry from this discussion was a determination to fight, not for us, but for a unity of policy. Mr Wilford thought wireless for the -Empire a good proposition. He • thought we should help the Singapore proposal and he agreed with preference within the Empire. CHANGE OP AT'HTUDE. Mr H. E. Holland, leader of the Labour Party, said everyone* must have been struck by the change in altitude shown by the motion and it was a tribute to the work of the Labour Parly. It meant 4J,iat no secret commitment won d bind New Zealand, rt was a win from the Labour Party's viewpoint. The debate will be resumed tomorrow afternoon.