EMPIRE COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1921, Page 5

EMPIRE COUNCIL.

WIRELESS AND AIRSHIPS. PROGRESS OF THE SCHEMES. HIGH COST INVOLVED, By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received July 31, 5.5 p.m. London, July 29. The airship committee’s report has been completed and will be presented to the Imperial Conference next week, when a decision to make practical tests for several months between England and Australia is expected. The committee appointed to investigate Empire wireless schemes has submitted its report to the Imperial Conference, which has not discussed it yet and time will lie afforded the delegates to thoroughly absorb the details. The committee favors the, Norman scheme, providing for a series of stations two thousand miles apart. These would Luvplve Australia in an annual loss of about £lo,oob and additional capital costs, which each Dominion is required to finance herself. It was agreed that it would be some years before the scheme would be a commercial success, requiring the deficiency to be covered by the parts of the Empire affected. The proposals would prevent Australia from communicating direct with Canada or the East. The matter will likely be considered at the conference on Tuesday. , Mr. W. F. Massey favors the adoption of the scheme as a partial step towards Empire inter-oominunieation. Mr. W. M. Hughes is vigorously against the scheme, regarding any alternative to direct communication between the Dominions themselves and London as a waute of money and ineffective. Everything depends on the deciflion of the Imperial Conference. The wireless companies declare there would be no obstacles except cost to direct ccmmunlcation.

Mr. A. Meighen, interviewed, said: ‘T go home satisfied with the progress made. We did not all come to London with the same views, but common ground was found. I was impressed with the British statesmen’s fair disposing towards the opinions of the Dominions’ Ministers and a spirit of unity, and equality was manifest in all the discussions. The conference, which has been sitting long hours this week is coming to a conclusion and the work is expected to finish very shortly. It begins to look now as if a good record of work accomplished will be the result of the conference. AN EMPIRE CABINET. QUEST. N OF FUTURE MEETINGS. Received July 31, 11.20 p.m. London, July 30. Prior to the nresent sittings of the Imperial Conference prominent politicians, the Press and writers here devoteu eonfiiderublo attention to the matter of a suitable name for this and future gatherings. It seems from various indications, chiefly from in the Press and the frequent use of the term by the British Prime Minister in a recent speech in the. House of Commons, that future conclaves of the Prime Ministers will probably be known as Em pire Cabinets. Mr. Massey has persistently advocated the constitutional setting up of something in the nature of a cabinet, which might be convened periodically or in ease of emergency to consider and decide matters of Fmpire policy. There is no question that the work the statesmen of Britain and the Dominions have been doing has been that of a Cabinet and though nothing official has transpired it seems likely that Mr. Massey’s suggestions may be found to comprise the fundamentals of future conclaves Special to Press Association,