Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-05-30
IMPERIAL COUNCIL IN SESSION
KING GEORGE MEETS WITH THE
PREMIERE OF COLONIES.
EngIand's Attitude Toward Her Over
seas Dominions May Be Changed
by Reforms They Advocate.

London, May 22-The most impor.
tant event. politically, in the whole
three months that England is devot.
ing to the coronation festivities took
place today, when the prime ministers
of the Commonwealth Of Australia,
the Dominion of Canada, the Union OF
South Africa, the Dominion Of New
Zealand and Newfoundland and the
king and his cabinet convened for the
much heralded imperial conference
to consider every topic in which
worldwide empire is interested. from
national defense to the design Of pom.
ny postage stamps. This is the first
official meeting of the new sovereign
and his colonial premiers. and it 10
expected that England's attitude
toward her possessions will be mate
rally changed as a result of the re-
forms advocated by the different do
minions and their ministers.
Chief among many interesting ques.
tions raised by the delegates from
England's colonies in their dispatches
to the home government, when the i'm
perial conference was first proposed.
is a resolution from the Union of
South Africa relative to England's po-
sition on trade preference. This res
olution reads:
THAT the desirability be considered
of replacing the system Of trade pref
erence at present granted by the over
seas dominions of Great Britain by a
system of contributions in money or
services to imperial naval and local
Defense"
This resolution, coming as 1t did at
a time when the Canadian reciprocity
agreement was pending before both
the legislature at Washington and the
dominion parliament at Ottawa. Can.
ada, raised storm Of protest among
English citizens. In fact 30 strong
was the pressure brought to bear upon
the ministry of South Africa by the
home government that the governor
general, Lord Gladstone. submitted a
letter recalling this section of the
tentative resolutions for discussion be.
fore the imperial conference. stating
that he had been advised by his min.
istry that they desired to postpone the
debate upon trade preference, but
chat the right honorable the prime
minister hoped that he would have op.
portunity during his stay in London
to discuss the question raised with
his majesty's government"
Apart from the question Of prefer
ence several subjects Of the most vi.
tai importance to the future of the
empire are to be raised. Australia
will move to rescind the objection
able features of the declaration OF
London, and New Zealand has two
equally important resolutions, one re.
lating to the establishment Of an
imperial council and the other the re-
organization of the colonial Office.
The first Of the resolutions from
New Zealand Is apt to prove rathes
startling to the orthodox Englishman,
for it is nothing more or less than a
resolution providing for the establish.
ment of council which shall be
composed of members from the con.
stituent parts of the empire, whether
self-governing or otherwise, and which
shall form an advisory body having
a voice in all matters before tho home
government pertaining to matters re.
lating to the colonies.