SILENT CONFERENCE

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1926, Page 9

SILENT CONFERENCE

THE END REACHED TO DAY

THE NEW ORDER OF THINGS

A BETTER DEFINED UNITY

DOMINION PREMIERS' WORK

By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Received Nov. 23, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 22. With the sitting at three O’clock tomorrow, what will become known as the “Silent Conference” will end. The Dominion’s Office hopes the same evening to issue a comprehensive official report on the whole proceedings. . There will also be outstanding a report on Imperial defence, and another dealing with speedier sea transit and mails, but the latter is likely to be inconclusive, merely stating the necessity for watching the developments in methods of propulsion. Meanwhile the report of the interImperial relations committee continues to be widely discussed. There is comment in Australian circles as to how closely it fits the policy outlined by Mr. Bruce at the private welcoming lunch tendered him at Australia House immediately after his arrival. Those intimately in touch with the Conference give Mr. Bruce a large share of credit for the happy result of the Conference, and describe Mr. Coates also as a quiet and persistent helper in achieving a better defined nnity.

It is remarked that both Australia and New Zealand were in the happy position of knowing that nothing conceded to others in any way affected their conception of the Imperial relationship. Mr. Bruee said to-night: “It is a very great report and will unquestionably do much to remove "from the arena of active political discussion questions which previously caused much anxiety.” “The first symbol of the new Imperial relationship is contained in to-night’s air communications report, in the phrase “His Majesty’s Government in Australia,” and the same phraseology is used regarding South Africa. This report will be of historic value as the first State document containing the new formula.

The non-committal allusion to the Locarno Pact in the report was cjdiat most people expected. Mr. Bruce thinks resort to the contracting out clause will not be necessary under the new definition on foreign relatione. Another authority describes it as a case now of “all in or nothing.”

The Australian Press Association gathers that the consensus of opinion was that it was inadvisable to deny Great Britain the right of extending hospitality during Imperial Conferences unless public opinion was shown to be hostile to that course. It is pointed out. that all the Dominions are jealous of their right to entertain any visiting British delegation. Mr. Bruee envisages the possibility of an inter-State conference in the near future, to discuss methods of solving migration difficulties, but he would prefer to see them first thrashed out with the migration development committee. In the meantime Mr. Gepp, the Australian Commissioner for immigration and development, at Mr. Bruce’s request, ife investigating the possibility of using caterpillar tractors such as were seen at the Camberley military manoeuvres on November 13, for the conveyance of materials for developmental work in roadless areas, or for carting water in time of drought.