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SECRET.
Printed for the Committer of Imperial Defence. April 1913.
I.
NOTE BY SECRETARY.
THE proposals of His Majesty's Government in connection with the representation of the Dominions on the Committee of Imperial Defence, as also the communications in this connection that have been received from the Governments of the Union of South Africa and the Commonwealth of Australia, are shown in the annexed papers,
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2. The Government of the Union of South Africa doubt whether the idea of a Minister of the Union residing in London for the purpose of constantly representing the Union Government on the Imperial Defence Committee is practicable," and Ministers point out that it is always open to the Union Government to seek advice from the Imperial Defence Committee in writing, or, in more important cases, to ask for a personal consultation between that Committee and the representative, or representatives, of the Union Government.
3. The Commonwealth Government confine themselves to stating that it is impracticable for a Commonwealth Minister to visit England during "the ensuing year," and to suggesting that, in view of the importance of co-operation in naval defence, a subsidiary conference should be convened in Australia early in 1913. ?
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4. No replies to the Secretary of State's despatch of the 10th December, 1912, have as yet been received from the Governments of Canada and New Zealand.
5. At the 119th Meeting of the Committee of Imperial Defence, however, Mr. Borden, speaking in connection with the proposals for the representation of the Canadian Government on the Committee of Imperial Defence, said :—
so far as my colleagues and I are concerned, we are entirely in sympathy with the proposals, and we have really little doubt that the same favourable consideration will be taken by Canada as a whole ;
and again at Ottawa on the 5th December, 1912, in introducing the Canadian Naval Bill, the Canadian Prime Minister said :-
"I am assured by His Majesty's Government that pending a final solution of the question of voices and influence, they would welcome the presence in London of a Canadian Minister during the whole or a portion of each year. Such Minister would be regularly summoned to all meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence, and would be regarded as one of its permanent members. No important step in foreign policy would be undertaken without consultation with such a representative of Canada. This seems a very marked advance, both from our standpoint and from that of the United Kingdom. It would give to us an opportunity of consultation, and therefore an influence which hitherto we have not possessed. The conclusions and declarations of Great Britain in respect of foreign relations could not fail to be strengthened by the knowledge that such consultation and co-operation with the Oversea Dominions had become an accomplished fact."
M. P. A. H.
April 4, 1913.
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PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE MY C. R. HARRISON.—8/4 1913.
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