The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-02-09

| Supreme In General Foreign Policy -
Glad to Get Closer to United States.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
| Especial Despatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1922.
| WASHINGTON. Feb. 9.-Great Brit
ain will look with favor upon the send
ing of a minister to the United States to
represent the Irish free state and viii
offer no objection to the sending of an
American minister to Dublin.
This information was obtained by this
correspondent from official sources. Also
if Canada, New Zealand. Australia,
South Africa, or any British dominion
hereafter shall with direct representa-
ton of a diplomatic character at Wash
ington to handle their own special prob
lens, the British government will be
agreeable to it and will ask only that
the dominion ministers de linked up with
the British embassy at Washington so
that in matters affecting the British en-
pirc as a whole. the ambassador, as the
senior representative of the king, shall
speak for the united British nations.
Although the problem has seemed to-
grow acute because of the grant of do
miniOn status to Ireland, British policy
has for some time been in process of evo-
hutton TO meet the growing demand of
Canada and Australia for direct diplO-
matte representation. The British for
eign Office has always maintained in
Paris a British minister wholly separate
in his duties from the British ambassa
dor to France. Both are accredited to-
the French government but the minister
concerns himself with tariff matters and
questions which do not have Il political
aspect
So there is precedent for the harmoni-
nf mi m
bassadOr working side by side with va
rying functions.
Feared British Objections.
Representative Raincy of Illinois has
lately introduced a bill providing for the
sending of an American minister to Ire
land. Some people have thought this
would involve the delicate question of
recognizing Ireland as an independent
sovereignty and have imagined that the
British government would offer objec
tiOns.
The truth is that Great Britain is not
going to stand on formalities but will
welcome aS many points of contact be-
tween her dominionS and the United
States as it is possible to have. For in
stance, the United States maintains I'M
Dublin . consul, who has for many
months been dealing directly with the
Sim Fein group. Similarly the United
States has n consul general at Ottawa
to deal directly with the Canadian gov
eminent.
For many months Australia has had a
commissioner IN New York handling
questions Of finance and other matters
directly affecting Australia. Whenever
the British ambassador here has had a
matter brought to his attention of inter-
est to Australia he called the Australian
commissioner into consultation.
Likes Some Independence.
Is a matter of fact. the British gov
eminent would prefer to have each do
minion handle that part of external pol
icy which affects a particular country
but is naturally DESTROYS of having only
one mOuthpiece on foreign policy as
whole. In the treaty between the Irish
Free State and Great Britain the latter
retains control of military and naval
policy. On questions so broad as to affect
the whole empire, there will be but one
point of cOntact-the British ambassa
dor-but on the thousand and one ques-
lions which Canada. for instance, has up
with the Washington government every
day. there will not be the slightest OBJ
lection to direct communication between
Canada and the United States or between
the Irish Free State and the United
States. Canada has many commercial
matters which affect her alone and
which have no relationship to other
parts of the British empire. Some of
Ter people nave thought a minister Ought
to be maintained in Washington for that
purpose The British government has
upon occasions told the Canadian au-
thoritieS that Canada could send her
own representative to the United States
any time. The impression prevailing
here is that when the Canadian govern
ment investigated the matter and found
that it would cost $4,000 a wear to
maintain a diplomatic representative, it
was felt that the same objects might be
achieved by sending q commissioner
from time to time who could work in CO.
operation with the British embassy. The
fact is a cOmmerciaf representative OPP
Grating in New York and in other BUSH
ness ccnters is really what some of the
British dOminions want instead of a
minister to sit in Washington with all
the expense of diplomatic life and few
contacts that are needed to improve COM
mercial relations.
New Zealand. for instance is inter-
ested in the question of meat-packing
monopolies. Newfoundland is interested
in fisheries disputes that have arisen
with the United States Canada is con
cerned over tariff duties Australia has
a multitude of financial and commercial
problems in which the United States is
involved.
The British View.
The British view is that the closer the
dominions get to the United States. the
better it viii be for the British empire