The Daily News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1926. CONFERENCE ACHIEVEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1926, Page 6

The Daily News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1926. CONFERENCE ACHIEVEMENTS.

The issue of the reports of committees on various important matters the work of the Imperial Conference is being brought- to a elose, and there should be no doubt that the achievements of this Empire Council will go down into history as the opening of a new era of sympathetic understanding of the Dominions with the British Government, as well as of a significant development of practical co-operation among the component parts of the Empire. The many intricate problems dealt with by the Conference may not all have met with a perfect solution, but a reliable foundation has been laid for the settlement of vital matters of political, financial and economic concern to the units of the great Commonwealth of nations and making for the advancement of their best interests. When speaking at the Mansion House luncheon in honour of Messrs. .Coates, Hertzog, and Monroe. after their admission to the freedom of the City of London, General Hertzog said; “We deeply appreciate Britain’s assistance in endeavouring to settle our relations with her on a firm basis. Our endeavours have been to build up and not to destroy. I shall leave London with the heartfelt feeling that our achievements will prove a lasting success and a lasting lesson to us all. South Africa will not be the last in steadfast co-operation with other parts of the Empire.” It is permissible to entertain the view that sentiments such as these will find expression in a practical manner by all the other countries represented at the Conference. That the desire to follow a constructive and not. a destructive policy is manifested by the report of the Inter-Imperial Relations Committee, which shows evidence of the highest and best statesmanship having been brought to bear on a «ub-

ject beset with many difficulties. To have achieved success in securing harmony where discord might easily have been evoked is a tribute to that spirit of earnest sympathy and co-operation which formed the keynote of the Conference. The dominant note of this report is equality. “Every selfgoverning member of the Empire is now mastei- of its own destinies, subject to no compulsion whatever ... no common cause being thereby imperilled. The equality of Britain and the Dominions is, therefore, the root principle governing inter-Imperial relations, but flexible machinery is required to deal with questions of diplomacy and defence.” Happily a sensible solution of the status of a Governor-General has been found. He will in future merely represent, the King, and not the Imperial Government, thus ceasing to be regarded as the official channel.' This new departure clearly establishes the principles of equality and independence, as well as of direct dealing, and remove an anomaly which, in some quarters, produced dissatisfaction. The recommendation of the committee that Britain and the Dominions should constitute an advisory committee to deal with the assent of the Crown to legislation as to extra-territorial matters, the operation of Dominion legislation, changes in colonial laws and the validity of Acts in view of the existing inter-Imperial relations, is a step in the right direction, and long overdue, but any changes in connection with appeals to the Privy Council will only be carried out after consultation. It is apparent that, as the Privy Council is the highest and ultimate Court of Appeal in the Empire, consisting "as it does when acting in that capacity, of most eminent members of the Motherland’s judiciary, radical changes might be unwelcome, particularly as British justice is so deeply venerated and regarded as saerosant, Obviously the matter is not one which could be satisfactorily settled by laymen’ even though they occupy the distinguished position of Premier. It is a problem which seems to justify the holding of a special conference, at the most convenient centre, of the foremost Appeal Court Judges of Britain and the Empire, and that is the kind of consultation which should be held before changes are made as to the Privy Council. The recommendations of the committee concerning the vexed question of procedure relative to international treaties should remove the existing obscurity and misunderstandings. The suggested solution of the problem of representation of the .various parts of the Empire at international conferences, practically follows the same lines as those on which the signing of treaties are based, but the details of the development of a system of personal contact between London and the capitals of the Dominions, supplementing and not replacing the present system of inter-communica-tion, were wisely left for a joint or several settlement. It is most satisfactory to learn that not only was the Locarno Treaty approved, but the Home Government congratulated on the success achieved.