Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-18
EMPIRE CONGRESS
WILL CONSIDER
VITAL MA TIERS
Changes in King Georges
Dominion May Result
From Meeting.
IMPORTANT POLICIES
WILL BE PASSED UPON
Will Deal With All General
Questions Affecting Con-
duct of the War.
TO ASSEMBLE NENT MONTH
ANON" Irt"reStin" Persons Present
viii y" ".""ier Hughes,
Of Australia.

l.cNhpN l'zrrua~" l7-Nast changes
for ki"'" c,,~:c r.'s far-nunS domin-
i""s. i"de"d fur tho whole world. are
hound M IN III. "r"at congress OF tho
british cr"nre which viii start here
n"St month
Ecpr"so"'"'i'.os "f tho British ON
"ir"'S load - elements have met be-
fore. hut = = Il matt OF cerc-
NOR ard f'rN. This time they come
20 london I" d" things. They will
consider aud decide All important
'"li"iHS nn". al ieSu" having to do both
With nroscnt problems and with those
which "r" "Npcc'"d 10 come up at the
clos" of III" conflict.
IL this q roreShadow OF the future
congress ~ tn. world: Many he
love 50.
In this unprecedented meeting. as in
tn" several military and economic coun-
els "f the entente allies and even in
III" similar gatherings Of the Teutonic
nations and their allies. experience is
being gained which Will do mich to
further til" Worldwide cooperation
now the goal OF most constructive
thinkers.
Fremicr David Lloyd George has
promised that tho representatives Of
British war board OF hNc members
not in til" sense that a visitor is in
Nitcd To sit beside - Judge on tho bench,
but as voting EQUALS
The Welsh leaders iar-secinE eye has
diSccrned that in this way lies safety
for Britain--;hat only by making tho
world CirdliaG empire an organization
Of peers can real cn-or"rat ton and the
fun development If British strength
be attained
LIST or THE MEN
WHO WILL. RE PRESENT
Here nrr tho men who will sit in this
imposing councils
For Great Britain--pavid Lloyd
George. Premier; Austin Chamberlain
Secretary Of State for India: Walter
Hume Long. Secretary OF State for the
Colonies.
For South Atrica-C;encrai Jan Chris
,i&n SHUTS (serving in place of Pre-
micr Louis Rntha).
For Canada-premic Sir Robert
Borden.
For New Icaland--Premicr William
Ferguson Massey
For observation-disclosures William Nor
ris Hughes.
For India-Two members OF the Privy
Council one a Hindu and one Mo-
hammedan.
What tho council will consider was
very clearly stated by Premier Lloyd
George in a statement to the Austria
liam Universal Gable Service. news
syndicate. in which the leading Anti
rod"an newspapers are members. He
said:
This council will deal with all gen.
cral questions affecting the war The
l,.ir
iivcs will be members of the war
council. and we propose to arrange
that all matters of Hrst Importance
shall be considered at its meetings.
LARGE NUMBER OF TOPICS
WILL RE CONSIDERED
Nothing affecting the dominions, the
conduct Of tho war or tho negotiations
for peace will he excluded from the
SCOPE OF its authority. There will. OF
course. 10 domestic questions which
each part "f the empire must settle
for itself. Such domestic matters will
b oar only reservation. b we pro-
r"Sc that everything else shall be, so
- speak. on the table.
You do not suppose that our over
seas nations can raise aud place in
tn" field armies containing a prepon-
dcraut r"Y,iou OF their best manhood
and not want 10 have Il say, real
say. in determining the use OF which
they are t. he put" That seems TO
Us an impossible and undcmocratic
proposition.
Up I" the present. We have shout
dercd practically alone responsibility
Tor the policy Of the war we now
wish Ia know that in our measures ror
prosecuting tho war to II finish. In our
,,,. fi-.
icms arising from the war and follow
ing its close We Shall IL CARRYING out
policy agreed to by the representa-
ti,cs OF the entire empire, sitting to-
geth"r in plenary council.
Things never can be the same after
tn" war as before it, Five democ-
racics. ali parts Of one empire, cannot
shed their blood and spend their treas
ure with 4 heroism and disregard OF
cost beyond all praise and in Il COM
mon cause without establishing unity
such as never existed until now"
Although the british empire now
presents a united front to TIL. Teutons,
such a spirit Of union has not always
marked it's history
There have been several times when
the empire seemed on the point OF
disruptinG. when il appeared probable
the great dominions would break away
from even nominal London suzcraintv
and set M independent rcpublics--a
course which the empire would have
difficulty in preventing. IT, indeed. 1t
could do so at all.
War has united the empire: first, the
Boer struggle. and, second. tho present
titanic conflict. t,
In the South African war, AZ in this,
the danger OF German aggression was