Evening star., 1923-10-09
PREM|ERS' SESSION
YELLED. IN SECRECY
Plain Speaking Reported Be.
hind Closed Doors of British
Imperial Farley.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, October 9.-The imperial
conference discussed British foreign
affairs for more than five hours yes
'terday, in the light of Foreign Sec
retary Curzon's recent statement, and
at the end of the day decided to
tell nothing of what had transpired
at the session. The resultant crop
of rumors must await verification
until the end Of the week, when, It
Is understood. report will be issued.
Publicity was withheld at the re-
quest of the British government, ac-
cording to the Daily Telegraph's dip
lomatic correspondent, who under
stands that the dominion premiers
only consented to the maintenance
of secrecy for a few days pending
Lord Curzon's reply to their criti-
cisms and suggestions. If a general
has not been reached by Friday the
premiers will use their own discre-
tion as to what they will divulge.
the writer adds.
Plain Speaking Reported.
The decision for secrecy, says the
Daily Mail, was the outcome of very
plain speaking on the part of the
premiers and other imperial spokes-
men, more than one of whom came to
London with the full intention of
making strong representations to the
government respecting it's attitude in
past montl s. The newspaper SAYS
they made clear that they nowise ap-
proved purely negative policy, con-
tending that the government should
n rIyrr~ hn
head with as little delay as possible.
Prime Minister Baldwin has gone
to Scotland for two days, and the
conference has adjourned until Thurs
day.
The Canadian premier. w. l.. Mac
kenzie King, was one of the principal
figures in the discussion of British
foreign policy. While not touching
8pecf ally on the Ruhr situation, it
Is understood he urged arbitration in
the settlement of international ques-
tionS
On the subject of relations of the
dominions to the empire Premier
King emphasized an autonomous
point of view, arguing that the peo-
Piles and the parfiaments OF tie do
mtnfons should be free in the express
sion of their own views and that the
representatives of the dominions in
London were primarily responsible
Tor their own parliamentS.
Relations With U. s.
He made special reference to the
amicable relations between Canada
and the United States. calling atten-
tfon to what had been done by the
international waterways commission.
He made reference also to the halibut
fisheries treaty and asserted that the
Canadian government had negotiated
directly with the United States in
that matter. because it was primarily
a Canadian question. other parts of
the empire being affected only Incl
dentally.
OF official information regarding
Premier Kings argument there is
none and dn view of the conference
discussion Mr.. King himself declined
to supplement the official communica-
tion, which merely made public the
THE conference came to a unanimous
decision that the whole of today's
proceedings should be considered as
strictly confidential"
Gen. SHUTS. premier of the Union of
south Africa, was another speaker
He Is said to have expressed himself
warmly in his criticisms He is re-
ported to have said that the British
government had not been sufficiently
definite in its attitude toward the
league OF nations, contending that the
various difficulties which have arisen
should have been referred at the out
set to the league.