THE EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1920, Page 5

THE EMPIRE.

PosmoN OF THE DOMINIONS. PARTNERS IN A FAMILY. By T|]«fl*ph.*-Preij A9sa.*-C«pyrljht. Loudon, June IS. •In the Housv of Lords, Lord Milner (Secretary for the Colonies), continuing his reply to Lord Charwood regarding the machinery to ensure continuous consultation with the different parts of the Empire, said that Britain frankly accepted the Dominions as partner nations of equal status, though by common consent Britain might hold the position of leadership as head of the family. It was supremely important to the Empire and the world that the selfgoverning Dominions and the United Kingdom should continue to pursue a common policy on all great questions of international affairs, that in the councils of the world the Empire could •peak with a single voice, but if that tic accomplished under the present constitutional conditions it would only be because the self-governing nations agreed upon a particular policy. There was no power in the constitution to impose the will of the majority upon a dissentient, and, if they failed to agree, common action was impossible. Fortunately, in the great test of experience, namely, in our war policy, all continuously agreed both about the policy as a whole and every important char, ter. It would be too sanguine to presume always to count on being equally fortunate. They must recognise that circumstances might arise, even in a great international crisis, in which the action of the Empire could be paralysed or greatly weakened owing to a failure of agreement between all the Dominions. That would be a disaster, but would only be likely to occur if they lost in peace time the close touch established in war time. He did not believe that on any of the world questions different I views would be taken by different parts of the Empire so long as they remained in intimate with one another and were able to consult before the crisis aroge. It was of' vital importance to maintain continuous knowledge on the part of the self-governing Dominions of the policy which any one was pursuing, and chiefly that which the United Kingdom was pursuing as regarded foreign policy. THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. Bfcaling with tlje existing methods of consultation, he said the Imperial Conference was a gathering of great influence and its resolutions had a considerable effect on the conduct of affairs in the different countries represented, and a good deal of most useful effectin pulling the Empire together had been the result of these occasional meeting. They must regard the conference as a. regular and permanent organ of the Empire and constitution, because they had a permanent secretariat to pursue various questions and collect material for 'future conferences, and, by communicating with the various Governments, to gee the resolutions were carried out. Although it was a most valuable instrument it was very far from perfect owing to the long interval between the conferences preventing them from eji'luring that the strength of the Empire was continuously broiigfit.to bear upon the direction of the affairs of the world la the way in which the powers of any unified Government could be exercised. The question arose whether' they should not devise means of making the inflnerice of the Empire as a whole, as distinct from the United Kingdom, continuously effective in the councils of the trorld. This was, temporf rilv achieved in war timp and the peace negotiations through the Imperial War Cabinet. The British Empire delegation to tht, Imperial War .Cabinet was as complete an executive of the whole Empire as could goslftly l>e conceived, but it was bound to fall into abeyance at the end of the war, if only because the Premiers of the Dominions could not continue to remain. He was' absolutely convinced that something more was necessary than they had got in the constitution of the' Empire, if the splendid harmony existing in war time was not to be frittered away in peace time and if they were not to separate from one another, going different roads, even withQut knowing it CLOSER RELATIONS.

• He was convinced ti(at they would be able to hold together on all matters of World importance only if they kept in closer touch than it was jiossible to do merely by means'of Imperial Conferences held every four or five years. Something Which brought the peoples of the different self-governing States of the Empire into closer touch was essential if the Empire was to play the great role it ought to play in the world. Something of the kind was in the minds of statesmen not only in Britain, but in all the self-governing countries. He agreed that the success of, the League of. Nations depended above all on the British nation, who were in the, League already and abje to speak with one voice. He believed that if they did they would hardly ever differ on matters of supreme importance from the United States. Then the two great Ajjjglo-Saxoii Powers could make the League a success and secure the peace' of the world. The Imperial Government was being strongly pressed by all the Dominions to hold an Imperial Conference as soon as possible. He had hoped the? meeting would be held in 1920, but all agreed it must be postponed till 1921. If it was to be a success and put the future constitutional relations of the Empire on a good footing there must be a meeting practically of Prime Ministers, though not exclusively so, and thfs should not be confused with the periodical Imperial Conference, which was distinct from it in that it would be of the nature of a Constituent Assembly, j which would try to arrive at a basis upon which our relations with the Dominions in future should be conducted. It would be a meeting of extraordinary importance, but pending its constitution it was not desirable to put forward a particular scheme of action. He hoped it wciuld not separate without providing the Empire With some organ of government based on the recognition of the complete independence and equality of its different parts.—Beuter Service.