EMPIRE UNITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 July 1942, Page 3

EMPIRE UNITY

CO-OPERATION IN WAR AND PLANS FOR LATER DAYS. HOUSE OF LORDS DEBATE. (Bv Telegraph—‘Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, July 21. A debate on the vital importance of maintaining the unity and solidarity of the British Empire was initiated in the House of Lords by Lord Elibank, who said that reciprocal trading agreements like the Ottawa Agreement were valuable in maintaining Empire solidarity in the prosecution of war. They would also be valuable after the war when they must be modified but not cancelled. An Imperial conference should be held when the end of the war was approaching to discuss Empire problems and endeavour to' reach a common policy. Lord Bennett said; “If we have to have a Commonwealth of Nations, we must have a common policy. In the Dominions there is no longer that unity of thought and purpose in connection with the war which is essential. We should determine whether everything possible has been done to counteract suggestions concerning the Empire’s dissolution. Policies affecting the Dominions should only be entered into after full consultation.” Lord Bennett said that in his opinion no unit of the Empire could remain neutral when another unit was at war. Lord Bledisloe, appealing for wider dissemination of Empire knowledge in Britain, urged the formation of an Overseas Empire Advisory Council, including all the Dominions’ ex-Gover-nors and Empire Ministers. The Colonial Secretary, Lord Cranbourne said it was thrilling to realise what the Dominions had done and were doing in two of history’s greatest wars. Nothing he could say could do justice to the Dominions’ courage and constancy. The task of evolving a common Empire foreign policy was not easy, but the system of consultation built up since the outbreak of war had proved valuable and was developing. The British Empire was neither dead nor dying, nor was it even declining. It had suffered and was suffering growing pains. If the pains were properly and sympathetically treated, the Empire would emerge from its present trials stronger, wiser, and more united i.than ever.