UNITY OF THE EMPIRE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 278, 25 May 1917, Page 4 (Supplement)

UNITY OF THE EMPIRE.

A few we»ks ago the "Quarterly Review" was publishing articles intended to reflect the state of opinion in the self-governing Dominions on the question of Imperial Unity. The latest number to reach Australasia contains three Bitch articles, coming respectively from Australia, Now Zealand and South Africa. According to an editorial note, they are written by and influential citizens of the Dominions themselves, 1 and present, not so much the personal views of the writers, as their impressions of the trend of public opinion in the countries concerned." All three writers bear witness to the growing sense ot the, exUtancc of an Imperial problem, due, as one of thorn puts it, to the fact that actual relations have outrun their political expression; but all three also tigreo in declaring that there is the widest divergence of opinion as to the details of a constructive policy, and that tip greatest care must l>e takrm not to endanger present unity by the riveting of formal bonds, which might suggest an impairment of the self-gov-erning rights of the peoples of the Dominions. None of them believe.-.' his own Dominion to be prepared for an immediate plunge into a policy of Imperial federation with Federal Parliament and Executive. The most that any one of them .advocates as a practical measure is some development of the political processes already at work —processes winch have led to the institution of the Imperial Conference and t!vj Imperial Committee of Defence, and to the presence of visiting Dominion Ministers at sittings, not only of the Imperial Committee of Defence, but of the Imperial Cabinet. The writ. er of the Australian article, for example, points out that the essence of tho problem is to bring about the efficient organisation and co-ordination of the resources of the Empire for common defence the correlation of foreign policy and military strength, and a common responsibility for policy in foreign affairs. From the administrative point of view tlie problem might to a large extent be solved on lines already laid down: namely, a permanent secretariat, an intelligence department, expert commissions, subsidiary special conferences, and an Imperial General Staff. So far as questions of government and policy are involved, the 'mperial Conference might be enlarged and given larger powers, so as to form a sort of Senate of the Empire, upon the advice of which Ministers charged with control of the Imperial departments concerned would bs appointed, and which should exercise some such authority in Imperial affairs as the United States Senate was designed to exercise in the sphere oi foreign policy. It would be representative of the Governments within the Empire, and it is in tne direction of a union of Governments rather than of formal federation, according to this writer, that Australian thought inclines when it begins to move towards the solution of the Imperial problem, lie admits the difficulties winch must always l»e.«et a confederation as compared with a formal federation, but evidently fears that the more rigid union would be far in advan.o of Australian opinion. The writer of the New Zealand article also looks to expansion of the Imperial Conference and the Committee of Imperial Defence rather than to drastic constitutional changes as the course that should he pursued, lie suggest* that the Dominion Prime Ministers attending the Imperial Conference should, as a matter of course, attend meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence, and be invited to attend as well at least one sitting of the Imperial Cabinet. In alternate years, when the Impend Conference did not meet, Dominion .Ministers of Defence might visit Great Britain, and in like fashion be, admitted to the inner councils of the Empire. In S'ourh Africa the problem would sec in to be complicated by the existence of a considerable "Nationalist'' party—followers niain'y of Hertzog—which is violently opposed to any formal strengthening whatever of Imperial bow's. This party has to le Ks.koned with for at least a number of years to come, and even the strongest advocates of Imperial unity in South Africa understand that the utmost caution is absolutely necessary, Lost, so far as that Dominion is in question, a hasty move towards increased Imperial solidarity should simply result in perilous disunion within the Dominion itself It is suggested, however, that good might result from the proposal ol the "Cape Times" that in each Dominion the Minister fir Defence should also be the Minister for External Affair:-, and should visit London once a year in order to attend meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence and to discuss in Cabinet with the British Ministry any topic of interest to the Domini.m-. "He would then,'' contends the writer of the article, ''be able to present to the Dominion Ministry and —to the extent to which the 'arcana imperii' are discussed in the House of Commons—to the Dominion Parliament, the full case for co-operatien in any particular matter, with a knowledge and authority whi'h are new practically impossible. '['-. e lvsuit, one might reasonably hope, would be to foster a disposition to concerted action, bas.d en the confidence that lie Dominion Parliaments were so much 'in the know' on foreign politics as the House ol Commons."' Soutli Africa, it may be observed, is much nearer to Great llritain than Australia or New Zealand. Sinb an arrangement would mean that oar Minister for Defen •.:• and Kxlernal .Mini-, would have to sp: n I something like a third el every year out ot this counfrv.