The daily times., 1921-12-08

Ever since that occasion Canada
has been striving for more individu-
ality Ineed the general elections in
Canada which We're held this week
resulted in a victory for the opposi-
ton to Premier Meighen. Some of
the opposition speakers discussed
Canadian participation in matters of
foreign policy that We're of direct
waged in the press as to whether Sir
Robert Borden, a member of the
British delegation to the armament
conference was q representative of
Canada or of the Crown The Wash
ington government was freely criti
cised for not issuing a direct invita-
ton to Canada. to which the United
States officials have been replying in
ernment dealt only with the London
government at the latter's request.
The movement for a Canadian COM
missioner at Washington has been
ington understands-bv the disin-
clinatinn of the R,.:t:sn foreign Of
fire to itrmit eve foreign policy CT
any If it's dominions to be handled
separately and by tho argument that
canadian officials ca confer fre
quently with the British ambassador,
Sir Auckland Geddes, who happens
incidentally to have lived long time
in Canada and is familiar with the
Canadian viewpoint
On the other hand, General Smuts.
the premier of South Africa, issued
not long ago a statement declaring
that Canada should have received a
direct invitation from the United
States and should have the right to
send an ambassador to any foreign
conference at which matters, affect
ing her are discussed. Indeed, the
South African statesman, was instru-
mental in drawing up the covenant
of the league of nations which gave
the six British dominions an equal
voice in the Assembly of the league
along with sovereign states, even
all the British states are regarded as
a unit and their votes cast as one.
The linking up of Canada to Ire
land in the new peace treaty is re-
garded here as likely to produce COM
plications for both countries No
rights would be granted to Canada
which England might
consider it indiscreet to grant to Ire
land. On the other hand the pressure
within every British dominion for
more of voice in determining Brit
ish external policy is growing and the
unity of the British empire in the
councils of the world will depend
largely upon the skill Of British
statesmen in working~out common
foreign policy. Frequent meetings
such as the imperial conference of |
dominion premiers last June are seen
as an inevitable result with the pros
pect in the future of Union of Brit:
ish States under a federal control
more or less analogous to the Wash
ington governments powers over
the sovereign states of the American
Union
Peace between Ireland and Eng
land means, however, many other
things for the United States in the
immediate future. It means a slow
but sure withdrawal of the Irish
from American politics. 1t |
means certain visit by Prime Min |
lister Lloyd George to the United |
States even if the issues of the arm
ament conference do not in them /
selves demand his presence. The op-
portunity' it might give him for a |
triumphal entry to this country folA
lowing upon the heels of the Irish |
peace is too good an occasion to |
miss as British spokesmen here have
felt for some time that Lloyd George
ought to visit the United States and
Canada because of the value such a !
trip might have upon the cementing
of good relations between English