The Meaning Behind Britain's Imperial Conferences
A PRIVATE
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touch with don?
interrupt their work by long monwealth constantly by absences in, England and
the one another through great elaborate preparations for a full-
art of the use of the of sub- dress conference every year. Three Imperial Conference,
is years interval between conferences gidiary conferences in London, in London is too short a space for accomplished through British hos- the taste of most Dominions. But pitality. Dinners, receptions, gar- every year one or more ministers den parties and week ends serve to from Dominion Cabinets go to Gene- remind the overseas visitors from va, dutifully and pleasantly break- other parts of the Empire what an Direct urbane and ancient civilisation it is NIFTY YEARS ago, at the Golden ter-imperial arbitration tribunals to ing the journey in London. I
contacts of this sort and meetings to which they are joint heirs. The Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the be chosen as disputes arise.
of the delegations from all the pageantry of a coronation, the social colonial representatives in London felt honoured to be called into con-
disputes members of the Commonwealth at recognition by lords and ladies of ference by the Mother Country. are worked out by the methods of Geneva help maintain consultations high birth and station do have an effect, even upon the most democra-- They sat about listening with some diplomacy, including direct contacts between conferences.
Imperial The outside world hardly realises tio representatives of the overseas edification to Britain's elder states- between premiers. The
soften e. g., men expounding the creed of Em- Conference itself offers a useful de- that the British League exchanges Empire. Even Labour ministers pire. For the few glimpses of for- vice for ironing out difficulties. diplomatic representatives, at least from Australia, eign policy which were vouchsafed.. to them they were duly grateful. In those legendary days of the Great Queen, few colonial statesmen out-. side Canada had the temerity to offer observations on these myster- ies. The Australians, troubled about
VI,
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Ordinarily, of course,
iri
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
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But
de-
the new German threat in the Paci- Every three four years, and on between the Dominions and Eng- their hostility to the "British capi- fie, had to swallow with what grace special great ceremonial occasions,land. Their reciprocal representa- talists" when they find what they might the disavowal by the like the Coronation, or a jubilee, the tives at London and in the Domin- lightful hosts the latter make.
-* * Mother Country of their occupa delegates of the Dominions and In- ion capitals are not called ambas--
This conference found all Domin- tion of some Pacific islands. If dia meet in London to talk over sadors or even ministers or consuls. they were not much agitated about matters. Economic and special con- That would be to lose the intimate ion governments represented, with defense in other quarters, that was. ferences may be held, as one was in family status of their association the exception of the Irish, who are because the duty of defending them Ottawa, whenever, convenience and under a common crown. They are perfectly prepared to co-operate. As called High Commissioners, and the world tension grows, the Do- all fell on England.
political pressures dictate.
the economic officials are called minions grow more conscious of the their fact that British power alone can To-day, following the crowning The League of Nations has serv- Trade Commissioners.
in prevent some of them from being of Victoria's great-grandson, George ed as an invaluable adjunct of this functions are really diplomatic
what a different atmosphere system of Imperial Conferences. character and serve further to keep aborbed by land-hungry dictator- Com- ships. It is true that they want to avoid commitments to support the Mother Country except through Geneva. But in any serious pinch they must come to her defense, and they know it. Canada alone feels tolerably safe under the protection of the Monroe Doctrine, and even Canada knows that her position is far more powerful as a member of the Commonwealth than it would be were she a small independent state like Belgium.
marked the assembling of the Im- Dominion Prime Ministers
perial Conference in London. Do- minions met the Mother Country
on terms of equality of states, if
not of power. Their Prime Minis-THE-
ters were able to speak with no trace of colonial inferiority. One of the great dominions, the Irish Free State, born since the last war and proper fruit of that travail of nationalism, has carried self-deter:
cannot the nations of the British
WORLD GOES BY By "ULYSSES"
mination, so far as to proclaim a UST hold the line; I'll ring constitution which sets up Ireland "JUST" What should one
as a republic-without 80 much
do
as a mention of the common crown, when these words are shot at one The other Dominions are free.
to from the other end of a telephone
line? do likewise, except for the constitu- tional agreements that they have The person who makes this fatu- undertaken to observe. To-day, the ous remark may know its meaning, British Commonwealth of Nations but it is not possible to ask him, stands as the only successful ex-since as he utters the
he periment in genuine internation- drops the line and goes away. alism left since the League of Na- tions' dimînishment of prestige
There must, I am sure, be many through its inability to enforce col- a telephone subscriber who has had
this experience. lective-security.
called a
word
.
The British League (illogically After a deal of vexatious delay Commonwealth) of Na-one succeeds at last in getting tions has manifested no need to through to the number one wants, enforce collective security to pro-and then one is told: "Just hold the
line. I'll ring you." tect its members against aggres- sion by other members. Unless Mr. One is asked to "hold the line." de Valera tries to coerce Ulster into But if one does this, what need is joining his Republic, there is small there for him to ring one? And if likelihood that the issue will ever he does really mean to ring one, arise. Economic sanctions are somewhat earthly use is there in asking times employed by one member one to keep holding the receiver in against another-never yet by the one's hand until he rings? whole against one. But they do not go further than the tariff increases practiced between the most friend- ly states. The cultural and senti-one at the other end to hear one. mental ties which make the newly crowned King a symbol of imperial unity mean that force has been ab andoned as a method of settling dis- These English putes within the Commonwealth.
One may growl, "I'll wring your neck," if that would bring one any consolation, but there would be no
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fact, I would grow up to be clean and straight and nice.
As this conference opened it ap- Well, I grew up, though those of
peared Dominions were likely to do read this column may you who doubt the truth of this claim. What two things: (1) promise to increase clean-well, their own armaments; and (2) press is more, I grew up.
clean. I took cold for increases in their share of the more or less baths, exercise and slimmed. You British market as a quid pro quo, will understand that this is several Unless they were willing to take I now have a paunch much more direct obligations to years ago... equal to that borne by any other support the crushing burden of re-
on sea as well as land, columnist
definite support in war, er that England could them in increasing re of her imports. For ther England has other obligations countries almost as important her economic life as the Dominions are to the Argentine, the Scandi- navian states, to Holland and other countries whose currencies are link- An industralist expects an in- led to sterling exchange (the British flationary boom and subsequent col-pound). These countries are some- lapse during the next three years. times called Sterlingaria, a musical Another stratosphere flight? comedy sort of name for "the sterl-
But there is no joke ing
It is a deadly serious intended. business for England to hold them against other competition. open door, too, must be left for the vast trade of the United States.
public
In addition, I never even thought,
I occa of wimmin, except when sionally cursed that nurse who had do brought me up in such foul fas- hion, what with cold baths every day and the clean English way of livin.'
Barbs
Moscow
scientists found gold mines 3,000 years old. “Gold Dig- gere of 1063 B.C." is another film we missed.
The husband was a golf fiend and the wife an auction-sale maniac. When he shouted "Fore" in his sleep she immediately yelled "Five."
Probably not much of t
character could therefore be ed from this conference. The Do- minions are not willing to tie them selves definitely, and England can no more bind herself more tightly to them by increased preferences. But that does not mean that the Empire is disin grating. On the Men have much in common with contrary, it does mean that a work- Neither would get into trou-able equilibrium has been reached ble if they kept their mouths shut. in this novel type of Internationa- lism. The British Commonwealth Our civilisation. "I doubt if any country in the world calling itself of Nations has reached a successful
method of working League civilised has a worse lot of bombers than we have." -"Popular Flying.” Nations on a small scale.
Embarrassing as the absence of When I was young I was taught A hairdresser says that blonde the Irish Free State may be, the three things to speak the truth, to hair often gives a lot of trouble, other members will probably try to have a cold bath every day, and Especially when a brunette finds it elaborate further details for the never to speak disrespectfuly of woon her husband's shoulder. creation of a judicial method of set-men."—Admiral Sir E. R. G. Evans. ing whatever disputes they may
Yes, I well remember when I was have among themselves. They have refused to follow the Free State's young. My nurse would say that if I had a cold bath every day the lead in offering to refer even these result would be an unvarying truth- family disputes to the Permanent
fulness for the rest of my life. Court of International Justice sit- ting at The Hague. Instead, they have agreed on the creation of in-
I would never tell lies or make sex. In low cracks about the fair
ah