EMPIRE TASKS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1921, Page 5

EMPIRE TASKS

CONFERENCE OF PREMIERS. MR. REVIEWS WORK. PROBLEMS OF THE PACIFIC. FINANCE OF THE EMPIRE. An important speech reviewing the work of the recent Imperial Conference was delivered by the Premier (Mr. W. F. Massey) in Parliament last night. The speech emphasised the importance of the gathering, which took the form of an Empire Cabinet, but he said New Zealand was not bound by the decisions of that Cabinet. The many problems which engaged the attention of the Premiers were touched on by Mr. Massey, including the unity of the Empire, Pacific questions, the Washington Conference, finances of the Empire, etc. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. On the House resuming to-night the Prime Minister (Mr. W. F. Massey) rose to make his promised statement on the proceedings at the Imperial Conference held in London a few weeks ago. He said it would be understood that much of the proceedings were of a confidential nature, and these he could not disclose, but he would give the House as much information as possible concerning those parts of the proceedings about which the people of New Zealand had a right to know. When he left Nev; Zealand he was asked on all sides to stand for a “united Empire”. This he had done, and he believed that as a result of the recent conference the foundations of a united Empire were laid, which he hoped would last for all time. As a result of our participation with the Mother Country in the great war, the Dominions had established a claim to be regarded as partners in the Empire, and that claim was now gratefully acknowledged and would never be disputed. ANGLO-JAPANESE TREATY. So far as the business of the conference was concerned, he desired to say that the representatives of the Dominions were treated with the utmost confidence —nothing was kept back from them, and they were treated as full partners. When he left New Zealand it was generally understood that one of the biggest questions to be decided was the Anglo-Japanese Treaty. That '.vas so, but there were other great questions, and in these questions, for the first time in history, the Empire was able to speak with one voice and no uncertain sound.

So far as the Anglo-Japanese Treaty was concerned, the position was simplified by the decision of the Lord Chancellor that the treaty had not come to an end. Personally, he favored the continuance of this alliance. Japan had been loyal to Britain for twenty years, and he could not forget her services to us during the war. He knew Japan’s weaknesses, but, everything considered, he believed it would be a disaster if any circumstances should arise which would deprive Britain of Japan’s friendship. Mr. Massey also favored friendly relations with America. The world was sick of war, but if we were going to have a lasting peace it could only come by a peaceful alliance between Britain, America and Japan. FUTURE MEETINGS.

In his opinion the conference was an unqualified success, but he was doubtful if these conferences could be held as frequently as Mr. Lloyd George hoped. The Premiers of the far-flung Dominions could not leave their countries for six months every year—that was the real difficulty. All things being equal, he favored conferences being held in London, the cradle of the race; but he thought the day would come when conferences would be held in some of the outlying parts of the Empire. Canada should have first preference, because it could be reached with comparative ease, and more time could be given to the transaction of business, and the whole thing could be completed in three months. Later on the conference might meet in New Zealand, which was a consummation devoutly to be wished, and would be a valuable education for British statesmen, who could not possibly know the Empire only from Downing Street.

Since attending these conferences Mr. Massey said he had come to realise what the British Empire meant, and those he met and with whom he mixed had also come to realise what the Empire meant. It was not only the greatest Empire the world had ever seen, but it was the greatest factor for peace in the world. It not only consisted of the British Empire Dominions and India, but of 43 Crown Colonies and Egypt. He did not know what the future government of Egypt might be, but one thing was certain—Britain could not lose control of Egypt, because she stood at one of the gates of the Empire, and that gate could not be deserted. The Crown Colonies contained a population of fully 109,000,000 — mostly tropical people, he admitted—but not one of those peoples was disloyal to the Empire, and that was a most powerful reminder of what we owed to the native races within the Empire. AN EMPIRE CABINET. The conference just closed was the most important ever held, inasmuch as it was the most representative of the Empire, and carried the weight of a Cabinet. At the same time, New Zealand was not bound by the decisions of this Cabinet. We were free to arrange our own affairs; still we were bound to the Empire by Burke’s definition of the words, “Light as air, but strong as iron.” Discussing the. King’s influence, Mr. Massey said there was a general impression that the King was only a figurehead. That idea was wholly wrong; there was no man in the Empire who had a better knowledge of.it. The King had immense power, but he was careful to exercise it only in a constitutional manner, and consequently we were the freest and most democratic people in the world—more democratic even than Americans. Some question had been raised as to New Zealand’s constitutional position, she having signed the Treaty of Peace. The fact was i that we were still subjects of the King, and when the King went to war on the advice of his Ministers then every subject

of the King went to war with him, and in such a case we were in no sense a separate country, but subjects of the King and partners in the Empire. Discussing channels of communication with the King, Mr. Massey declared that there could be only one channel, and that was the Government of Great Britain. Mr. Lloyd George thus became, not only the Premier of Great Britain, but Premier of the Empire. FINANCE OF THE EMPIRE. .Speaking of the finance of the Empire, Mr. Massey said Britain owed America £948,000,000. On the other hand, France and Italy owed Great Britain £1,030,000,000, and he often wondered why an effort had not been made to induce America to take over France’s and Italy’s debit to Britain in exchange for our debit to America, as he believed such action would materially improve thp financial position of the world, and would greatly benefit America herself, because France and Italy were worth 20s in the pound.

Reverting to the subject of Empire, the Premier said it was our duty to put down disloyalty wherever it appeared, and he quoted from an address presented to the King by the members of the conference, which he declared was a clear indication that no part of the Empire represented would break away from the Empire.

Coming to the forthcoming Disarmament Conference, he regretted that a preliminary Pacific Conference was not held. He wanted peace, but he believed that the Pacific would be the next world storm centre. He was not prepared to say from what point danger would come, but when it came he wanted to be prepared for it.

He was not unconscious of the difficulties in the way of disarmament, but those difficulties were not created by Britain. She had reduced her navy to a one-power standard, and for the first time in a hundred years she had not a ship on the stocks, such was her desire for peace. America and Japan, on the other hand, had gone in for big shipbuilding programmes, and that was what we were up against. If any nation or nations could succeed in cutting our lines of communications the Empire would undoubtedly come to an end. That position could not continue — the risk was too great—and the conference decided to back up what had been suggested in the House of Commons—that four keels be laid down. That decision was unanimous, on the understanding that these ships were to be Empire ships—that is, the countries of the Empire were to contribute to their cost if the respective Parliaments approve. NAVAL DEFENCE.

He suggested that the cost of these ships should be a first charge on the German reparation fund. He did not say that was agreed to, but he thought the charge was a fair one. Whatever the final position in this connection might be, he was confident the people of New Zealand would be found ready to do their duty. Coming to naval defence, he said the position had so changed that he had recast his opinion. He now no longer favored a local navy, but preferred that New Zealand should contribute generously to an Empire Navy. Reference had been made to the League of Nations, which he did not wish to deprecate, but at the same time its cost had been enormous, and could not continue on the present scale. This phase, however, was being revised, including our share, and he was personally prepared to recommend Parliament to give it another year’s trial. The Premier then passed on to discuss the position of the New Hebrides, which, he declared, was most 'unsatisfactory. The trouble was that France was most unwilling to give up any of her islands in the South Pacific. He did not know what the ultimate solution would be, but in this connection he was pleased to say he was able to work most harmoniously with the Premier of Australia, which was always regarded as a senior partner in these Pacific matters. Referring to aviation, Mr. Massey said a committee had investigated this matter fully. He had thought we were on the. eve of important developments, but he was afraid the accident to R3B would put aviation back so far as passenger airships were concerned. He agreed that improved communications by air would be of great value to the Empire, and be believed they would come. OTHER PROPOSALS.

Touching on wireless telegraphy, he gave ail instance of his own experience with wireless telephony on a voyage between California and Honolulu. The Imperial Conference had decided in favor of a wireless chain for the Empire, add’ the first station was already erected. This would be of great benefit to the Empire, though it would not displace cables. The Prime Minister then detailed the provisions of the proposed legislation covering the naturalisation of children' of British subjects born in foreign countries. An additional duty that would fall on Prime Ministers presently was the perusal of Foreign Office dispatches, and they would have to keep themselves in touch with foreign politics. He believed it would me' i that a special Minister should be appointed to undertake this duty. He stressed the need for doing all possible to encourage trade between the countries of the Empire, by means of free trade. He hoped the time would come when free trade might operate between (hem, but that was too much to expect for a long time. In the meantime we must endeavor to extend preferential treatment to fellow members of the Empire. As British citizens we must show our own loyalty to the Empire, and this could be done as well through the medium of trading conditions as in any other way. Mr. Massey said he would not attempt to deal with another subject that night, but would take an opportunity within a few days when he laid the reports dealing with the conference on the table. The Premier was greeted with applause when he resumed his seat.