The Daily News. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1918. THE FORTHCOMING IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1918. THE FORTHCOMING IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

-The announcement that Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph "Ward will attend the Imperial War Cabinet and' conference, which are to be heUMn London next June, vdll caase no surprise, inasmuch as the Prime Vaster had already hinted at* this step using neeessary. However ■desirable it fos in the past for New Zealand to he at .tiiesesjcoiiferonces iifo moibfth an fever imperative &t this crucial* si age of ■ttje war#b** ; every 'Dominion shouhtotako&igirt in' the. consideration of n^;tter« i yita% affect *;»g«tfee Eapirc. On this}fihere*l!aHHtOM4ji be a general agre6ment^W»t»«s'toA™heftfcer 3%jßrJ*^Sn* !, alionltl party rcWersfcto.LontbMi of the-couifery w a matter there may beifflfonoiunced.: diSexc js of opinion. jsfest' prsm the large<expei»diture iiwolvedfWt (Wottld seem ißa-dvisafole at-auch' a criti* cal juncture' of affairs to deprive ©OMiaion of the services of .b«*h the leaijing Ministers, so that practicaMy a4J pjerioas masters needing attention by Cabinet wjM»%awe to .be dealt with ovlt ;the caWe,. service. The matter is one tfeat Parißteirnt-will be called upon" to decide, approval is given, there should foe furnished satisfactory •reasons for both the leaders undertaking the mission to London. If two ■ministers can be snared for an indefinite time then it wouM-seem we can do with a smaller number in the' Cabinet. Of course war matters take precedence, hut the affairs oi the Dominion require administration by Ministers in whom the people have absolute confidence, but if Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward are both away it can hardly he said that the remaining members of the Ministry can he expected to arrive at any decisions of moment. It is suggested there shall be a short session of Parliament in April, after the close of the financial year, but it is obvious that in the time available between the opening of Parliament and the departure of the Ministers for London there will be no possibility of transacting much business, whereas if only one of the leaders went to the Conference, the business of Parliament could be carried on as usual. There appears to b c some justification for the contention that the government of the country is passing from the hands of Parliament into those of departmental "heads and sooner or later (of course after the war) there will have t 0 be an overhaul. However, as the Dominion managed to exist much the same as usm,! during the last visit to London °r Mr. Massey ami Sir Joseph Ward the Precedent will be made t() „ ufflce fm . nation of the occurrence. The won«r is teat the- Government of the coun•*l V not put i«to commission, so as to

ing commissions for almost everything else in New Zealand. Apart from this dual representation, there is every prospect, of the forthcoming conference and War Comioil being fraught with moinen- . tons issues, and the. consultations are expected to be "vital and imperative." The two great questions which -will doubtless occupy the serious attention of the Conference will probaby be those relating to peace ond the German colonies. In view of I'resJdent Wilson's attitude it is possible that the conference may be called upon to discuss and decide the question of peace terms, so far as the Empire is concerned, as a reliable guide for the Allies in finally determining their policy, but it is far more likely that the vital question wilKbeasto what greater extent can tiie Dominionsassist in the more vigorous prosecution' of the war, both as regards man power, aid food supplies. With regard to the : German colonies, the conference might , :do good service by deciding straight , out that there can be no restoration of J.German overseas possessions captured ''during the war. The German press is , continually harping on the imperative i necessity for recovering these colonies a*d a dwect statement 'by the Confert ewe rajght puts an end to the matter. j&M thefsame timeit..is a moot point as any fwt'her statement of j war aims should bo made. The co*o{eration of America, lias considerably aftered several very important matters !'involved in the war, and the conference will doubtless be careful not to offend [ American susceptibilities. It is genein | ally considered that the final stage of ' the struggle is about to commence, and. "it,,is abtfve all things imperative that tto Allies should present a firm, united '»and determined front. Whether oße or two members of the Cabinet will represent the Dominion at the Conference. Tariiament should do all in its power ti strengthen the hands of such representative or representatives so that there shall be no uncertainty as to the Dominion's views on all matters brought under discussion at -the Conference, wlrich it is 'hoped will be the last that will be held before the peace terms have to be decided upon at the close of the war.