CAB38-17 — Page 151

Page 151

Page 151

REPORT.

I. PROCEDURE OF IMPERIAL CONFERENCE IN REGARD to Defence QUESTIONS.

IN view of the great number and diversity of the subjects included in the programme to be laid before the Imperial Conference, and of the comparatively short time available for their discussion, the Sub-Committee consider that it would be highly advantageous if the method of subsidiary conferences proposed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies in his despatch dated the 20th January, 1911, which is printed as Appendix I to this Report, were adopted in dealing with defence questions.

2. They suggest that defence questions, instead of being discussed in plenary Conference, should be remitted to a Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence to the meetings of which the representatives of the Dominions should be summoned..

As most of the defence questions to be discussed are of a highly secret character, a great advantage of this method of procedure would be that the secrecy of the proceedings could thereby more certainly be insured. For it would be possible in the case of meetings at the Defence Committee to summon only those representatives of the Dominions whose presence would be required to assist in the deliberations of the Committee: while any attempt to restrict attendance at the meetings of the Conference would be inexpedient, as it would be difficult to avoid making distinctions which would be regarded as invidious.

3. As the circumstances of the several Dominions are in many respects dissimilar, and as opinion is divided on many important aspects of defence policy, there is not likely to be unanimity among the representatives in regard to the various naval and military questions that will be discussed.

The Sub-Committee accordingly recommend that the precedent created at the Imperial Conference on Defence in 1909 should be followed, and that before general discussions with the representatives of all the Dominions take place at the Committee of Imperial Defence, the representatives of each Dominion should be afforded opportunities of entering into preliminary private discussions with the Admiralty and War Office, so as to enable these Departments to ascertain to what extent there is a general agreement among the Dominions, and what subjects it would be expedient to bring up at the general meetings at which all the Dominions are represented.

4. The Sub-Committee are of opinion that it would probably be inadvisable to address a despatch to the Dominion Governments asking for their consent to the adoption of this procedure prior to the assembly of the Conference. Such a despatch might give rise to misconceptions as to the scope of the proposed changes of procedure which might lead to concurrence being withheld.

It is thought that the members of the Conference would readily agree to the proposal if it were made to them verbally at the opening meeting of the Imperial Conference, when the reasons for making it could be explained. If the procedure proposed is adopted, it will be important in arranging the programme of the Conference to ensure that time is allowed for the preliminary discussions with the Admiralty and War Office and for the meetings at the Committee of Imperial Defence.

[276]

کرتی

B

Page 151

Page 151