EMPIRE NATIONS EQUAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 852, 21 December 1929, Page 11

EMPIRE NATIONS EQUAL

i “ACT OF WESTMINSTER" TO BE PREPARED PAPER S CYNICAL COMMENT : United P.i.—By Telegraph—Copyright ; Reed. 0.40 a.m. MONTREAL. Friday. The Montreal "Star," in a leader, | comments on a special Ottawa disj patch which reports that, as a result of the Empire Constitutional Conference recently ended in London, a new Imperial statute to be known as ‘‘The Act of Westminster,” will do away with anything in the Imperial statutes which is inconsistent with the declaration of the Imperial Conference of | 1926, affirming equality of status. | Such Act is to be prepared and put ; through the British Parliament after ! consultation with the various Governj ments, directly or at a new conference, its effect being to establish j definitely and legally the equality of 1 the Dominions and the Mother Country.

After reviewing the effects of the decision, the "Star" leader concludes: “When the Act becomes law, there will be nothing w'e cannot do for ourselves except defend ourselves, or compel other nations to respect our ‘rights,’ or change our own Constitution. We can call ourselves a sovereign nation if it pleases us, and not displease anybody else bigger than we are. We have got all the parchment, pomp and power, dignity and sovereignty that can be granted us: but if we get into trouble we -will still take shelter behind that heaving line of grey warships, to the upkeep of which we would consider it almost immoral to contribute. We are defiaDt and victorious in London, but not in foreign capitals.”