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VIII. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS.

I. Procedure.—Defence questions which are for discussion at the Imperial Conference should be remitted to a Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence, to the meetings of which representatives of the Dominions should be summoned. Before the discussions at the Committee of Imperial Defence take place, the representatives of each Dominion should be afforded an opportunity 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 general agreement among the Dominions.

II. General Defence Policy.-A paper should be prepared setting forth the general strategic position of the Empire under existing conditions, to be laid before the members of the Conference at the Committee of Imperial Defence if a suitable occasion arises.

III. Co-operation of Naval Forces.-The general principles laid down by the Admiralty for the co-operation of the naval forces of the United Kingdom and of the Dominions should be approved by the Committee of Imperial Defence.

IV. Co-operation of Military Forces.-The proposals put forward by the War Office in their Memorandum which is printed as Appendix V should be approved by the Committee of Imperial Defence.

The General Staff should prepare a paper indicating the nature of the oversea services that the military forces of the Dominions might render in certain eventualities.

V. Treatment of Neutral and Enemy Merchant-ships in time of War.-The question whether the Report of Lord Hardinge's Committee on the treatment of neutral and enemy merchant-ships in war should be handed to the representatives of the Dominions when they arrive in this country, and discussed at the Committee of Imperial Defence, is left for the decision of the Committee of Imperial Defence.

VI. Representation of the Dominions on the Committee of Imperial Defence.-The principle that representatives of the Dominions concerned should be invited to attend meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence when questions of naval and military defence affecting their Dominions, referred to the Committee by the Dominion, are under discussion is already established. It is inexpedient that this privilege should be extended.

It will be for the Prime Minister, after consultation with the Government of the Dominion concerned through the Colonial Office, to decide whether the High Commissioner would be the most suitable representative in each case.

VII. Proposal of the Union of South Africa. This question should be discussed by the representatives of the Union of South Africa with the Admiralty and War Office.

C. L. OTTLEY (Secretary).

(Signed)

L. HARCOURT (Chairman). R. B, HALDANE. REGINALD MCKENNA. ESHER.

J. SEELY.

A. K. WILSON,

A. E. BETHELL.

W. G. NICHOLSON. H. W. JUST.

A. NICOLSON.

[NOTE-Owing to illness, Lord Crewe was unable to sign the Report.]

2, Whitehall Gardens,

March 11, 1911.

گرم

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