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II-DISCUSSION OF GENERAL Defence POLICY.

5. The discussions on the general defence policy of the Empire and on the question of the co-operation of the naval and military forces of Great Britain and the Dominions in Imperial Defence that have taken place at previous Conferences have been of a somewhat academic character; and difficulty has been experienced in focussing the attention of the representatives of the Dominions on any concrete problem of defence policy.

Resolutions expressing in general terms the acceptance of the principle that the naval and military forces of the Dominious should be available for the defence of the Empire as a whole in time of emergency have been put forward on several occasions, and have invariably failed to secure the unanimous assent of the representatives of the Dominions.

6. The negative results obtained at previous Conferences appear to have been due partly to a reluctance on the part of the Dominion Governments, jealous of their autonomy, to commit themselves to any particular course of action in what appeared to them to be remote hypothetical circumstances, and partly to the fact that the state of the organisation of their naval and military forces has been such as to preclude them from undertaking definite responsibilities as regards the defence of the Empire as a whole.

7. In view of the progress that is now being made by the Dominions in the organisation of their naval and military forces, the occasion seems opportune again to attempt to ascertain whether they would now be prepared to undertake certain definite responsibilities in connection with the defence of the Empire as a whole, and, if so, the nature and strength of the forces they might make available for such a purpose.

It is recognised that any such undertaking that might be given would be subject to the proviso that the decision whether their naval and military forces shall or shall not join in hostilities in any particular war must rest with the Government of each Dominion.

8. To enable the representatives of the Dominions to express a considered opinion on this subject, it is essential that they should be informed of the existing strategic situation of the Empire. The Committee of Imperial Defence Paper, No. 62 C, on the General Principles of Imperial Defence affecting the Dominions and Colonies, have already been dispatched to the members of the Conference. The application of the general principles stated in that Memorandum to the cases of the several Dominions might be explained at the Conference. For example, it is desirable from an educative point of view that the Governments of the Dominions should understand to what extent the comparative immunity from the danger of attack at present enjoyed by them is due to the existence of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance and to our close relations with the United States.

A statement on this subject might be made without expressing any opinion upon the policy of the determination or extension of the Anglo-Japanese alliance, which it is understood His Majesty's Government do not desire to discuss at the Imperial Conference.

9. As the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia have expressed a wish to discuss the question of the co-operation of the naval and military forces of the United Kingdom and those of the Dominions (see Appendix VI to this Report), the discussion of various situations that might arise in certain eventualities appears to be almost essential in order that the Admiralty and War Office may be afforded an opportunity of putting forward definite proposals for such naval and military co-operation.

III. CO-OPERATION OF NAVAL FORCES.

10. The Committee were informed that the question of the international status of war-ships of the Dominion navies, which, as the result of the Imperial Conference on Defence in 1909, Canada and Australia have decided to establish, has been discussed by an Interdepartmental Conference assembled by the Admiralty. A Memorandum

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