THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9462, 3 June 1909, Page 5

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

The correspondence in connection with the Defence Conference, which Sir Joseph Ward will place before members of Parliament on Monday, has been laid before the Australian Parliament, and shows that on April 29th the Imperial Government cabled suggesting the desirability of a conference of representatives of the selfgoverning dominions at tbe earliest suitable date, to consider definite lines of co-operation for naval defence of the Empire. In the course of a cable message to Canada next day Mr Asquith said The object of the conference will bo to discuss general questions of naval and military defence of the Empire, with speoia l reference to the Canadian resolution, and to the proposals from Australia and New Zealand, to which I have referred. I assume that the consultation will be generally upon technical or quasi-techni-oal naval and military matters. The conference wil be of a purely consultative character, and will be held in private, and its deliberations will be assisted by the presence of members of other expert advisers of bis Majesty’s Government. s