IMPERIAL POLICY

Southland Times, Issue 18859, 26 June 1920, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLICY

DOMINIONS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS, j SPEECH BY GENERAL SMUTS. (By Telegraph.- Press Assn.-—Copyright.) (Reuter's Telegrams,) CAPETOWN, June 23. Iri the Assembly, General Smuts, replying to a question regarding the new iwsition of the dominions in the matter of foreign relations, said the Empire could only exist j on the basis of complete equality and freej doni for all the dominions. If possible, the | Empire should speak with one voice, but. 1 South Africa was not going to be coerced 1 by a majority vote of the rest of the Em--1 p're. He hoped a constitutional conference j would be called next year to go thoroughly | into and clear up the position. | General Smuts added that he was sure the j other dominions would take up the j>osition, : which should he taken no! only bv the doj minions but by the British Government that | no resolution, could be binding on any part ! of the Empire without its free consent. He j was sure that some solution could be found jin the majority of cases. The final decision Iso far as the South African Union was con--1 cerned rested and always would rest with j one country and one body only, viz., the | South African Parliament and Government.