IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8473, 28 June 1907, Page 3

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

TH2 S EARCH FAILS.

(By A Colonial.)

(From the London Daily Telegraph).

The careful search after a common ground of agreement between the Government of Great Britain and the Outer Empire has failed, and with this the story of the Imperial Conference of 1907 ends. The colonies knew all about. the pledges, which the Imperial Ministers gave at the last General Election. They knew also how much it it was impossible to achieve; but, for all that, they set out to exhaust every possible compromise, and they have so done. The Imperial Ministers have nothing to say on the matter of Imperial trade except a blank "No" to every, proposal. On all the other questions of the Conference some sort of an agreement has proved possible though many of these questions were full of difficulties. On the trade question, which is the binding question, all discussion has hopelessly failed to bring about an agreement, but, at the same time, this discussion has been very far from useless. There is no doubt now where the colonies stand. There is as little doubt where the., Imperial Ministers stand. The issue falls into the hands of the people of Great Britain to determine, the Imperial Ministers say that the people have so determined it, and that they are but safeguarding such a determination. This is as it may be. The picture has changed since that determination was come to. At that time it was said that there was no offer from the colonies; that the desire of the Outer Empire for trade relations with Great Britain which would keep the Imperial trade within the Empire, was not strong; that, in trade, there was no Imperialism, but that each section of the Empire must look after its own affairs. Such was the picture a year ago. What is the picture to-,day? The Prime Ministers of the colonies have been sitting day after day at the Colonial Office, pressing home their offers. Starting with the declaratory resolution of 1902, they tried to press forward to a realisation of the desire of the declaration. The whole of them went forward, except Mr Botha, and he. held back, because the political conditions of the Transvtkai are so new that he is unable to apeak for much more than himself. This forward movement failed, because Mr Asquith, speaking for the Cabinet, proclaimed the divinity of Free Trade. From this the Prime Ministers stepped back to the declaratory resolution of 1902. This resolution ia at best but a desire for Imperial trade relations, and even Mr Botha was able to agree to this. This also failed, because the Home Ministers would not even express a desire ( for Imperial trade relations with the i Outer Empire. Stepping still further [ back, Dr. Jameson's proposal was . made for Imperial trade relations on such matters as did not raise the Free Trade issue. It was simply that. ] where duties are already in existence they should be less upon Colonial products than they were upon Imperial. Here again the colonies stood all together, but the Home Government said " No." They are so fearful of the thin edge of the wedge that they will agree to nothing. All the suggestions are,"frankly,' the thin edge of the wedge, and so far as that suspicion is concerned the Home Ministers have justification, but what sort of a Great Britain are we dealing with in this year of grace? Is it a country which is afraid to try these, ideas? The Prime Ministers are satisfied that if any one of the ideas is tried it will remain. But that only means that the people of the Empire will be so satisfied with them that they will retain them. We are still dealing with a free people, even if we are dealing with ' Ministers who are too fearful of their political faith to put it to the smallest trial. The last resort was the suggestion to create an Imperial fund by means of a 1 per cent, duty on foreign goods, or, failing that, a direct contribution equivalent to 1 per cent, for the furthering and fostering of Imperial trade. This failed ' because the idea is quite new, and Some of the Prime Ministers did not see their way to endorse it without reference, to the public opinion of their own colonies. All the other methods are so well-known in the Outer Empire, and meet with such a general acceptance, that it is easy " for the Prime Ministers to pledge their Parliaments on all of them. There you have the successive steps in the search after an agreement on the trade question. To all of these pressing offers, put in every way that it would be possible to meet the objection of the' Home Government, there is returned a blank, bald "No." Where explanation has been giye,n by the Home Ministers it has merely been that the trade of Great Britain is booming and a panegyric on the immutability of Free Trade. There was a crowd once who thought that Diana of the Ephesians was great!What remains now for the colonies is simply to fall back upon themselves, and to build up their own trade as best they know how. What they hay e been seeking these days is to briiig about a federation of trade, while all parts of the Empire are prosperous. The uses of adversity may be sweet, but it is not good for someone when federations are made because of adverse pressure. One or pther of the contracting parties has an advantage in such circumstances. 'The Prime Ministers have been trying for Imperial trade. Their obligations to foster the trade of their own colonies remain with them. If they -follow the lead of the Imperial Government they will limit their horizon to their own interests. They will trade anywhere so that it suits them, and make agreements anywhere when agreements pay. Canada already has "an intermediate tariff." No other colony has. No other colony 1s likely to have such; but, if any one of the Prime Ministers went away from London, and knocked at ■, the door at Berlin they would be doing no more than Lord Elgin is inviting them to do. He says practi- - tally that Great Britain is going to trade anywhere and anyhow, so that the Board of Trade returns boom. No one quarrels with him, but it wou Id come with something of a shock, if the colonies, thrown back upon themselves by surly repulses, told that Great Britain's first duty

is to her Joss, and not to the Empire, were to go away and "better the instruction." The colonies must find more markets, must increase their trade, otherwise the unsettled areas cannot be peopled. Are they now to increase that trade anywhere and anyhow? If so, we are within sight of the coming of the historian who is to sum up the results of the Conference of 1907, and to glorify the work of a "Liberal" Ministry. Fortunately for the Empire, the Colonies are too keenly sensitive to the Imperial jdeal to do any of these things, which the Home Government invites them to do. The Prime Ministers will go home and devote themselves to the care of their own countries. They will build up their trade as best they know how, and make what business bargains they can, and four years hence they will come back again with clean hands, in regard to the Empire, and will press home the proposals again. In the meantime the issue falls into the hands of the people of Great Britain. Thsre will be no going back in the colonies. Will there be a coming forward here?