Evening star., 1926-11-23
The British Empire.

Wide divergence of opinion exists
as to just what the report of the inter
imperial relations committee Of the
Imperial Conference Of the British
Empire may mean. It has been
called a Reorganization" even a dis
solution" of the British Empire. It
has been called q mere recharacter1-
cation Of q condition that already ex-
listed in the empire. But, whatever
the difference Of opinion among the
citizens Of other nations regarding
this report, 1t appears to have hit a
responsive chord in the hearts Of the
British and the peoples of the various
dominions. There is no indication Of
weakening Of the bond which holds
together Great Britain, Canada, the
Irish Free state, South Africa, New.
foundland, New South Wales and
New Zealand.
Indeed. the result is likely to be a
strengthening of this bond by grant
Ing greater freedom Of action to the
component parts Of the empire. There
is no dominion which does not realize
today that 1t Is far stronger, in deal
Ing with the world. as a part of the
British Empire than IL 1t stood alone
The British navy is still the great line
Of defense for all the dominions. Act
ing together. the states which make
UP the empire exert q tremendous
power. AvtinA apart, these domin.
hons would snriIk in power and effect
% an appalling degree.
Had the British government a cen.
tury and a half ago shown the same
wisdom in dealing with the American
colonies as 1t has shown since in deal
Ing with the states which now make
Up the empire. perhaps there would
have been no Revolution, no Declara.
ton Of Independence. British states
men learned lesson of tremendous
value from their experience with the
American colonies, now the United
States.
1t Is a singular thing and perhaps
worthy of comment that as the
years have progressed the govern
nent OF the British Empire was ridden
with lighter and lighter rein, while
in tho United States the tendency has
been moro and more to strengthen
the central or Federal Government.
Here there has been a trend away
from States rights. There the right
of the individual states has been
added to from time to time until
now 1t fs declared that equality
az status, so far as Britain and the
dominions are concerned, is the root
principle governing our imperial re.
lations." This is from the report of
the Earl Of Balfour to the Imperial
Conference. But while there is a. dec.
laration Of principle regarding the re-
lstions Of the component parts of the
empire, no effort has been made to
define with great exactness tho status
Of the dominions.
Here the British differ widely
from the American who seeks to set
down in exact form and in statute
every relation that exists between
the States and the Federal Govern.
ment and between the Government
and the citizen. The British have
been without a written constitution
for centuries. Their government, as
their law, has been a development
from usage and custom, until prece-
dent has become the rule. The tie
that binds the states Of the British
Empire together is unwritten, and
perhaps the stronger for that. In
vulved in it are self-interest, the bonds
Of common blood and language and
tradition.
Under the report Of the interim.
perial committee, adoption of which
by the dominions and Britain Is conf
IDENTIFY expected. the dominions are
given specifically the right to make
treaties and send their representatives
to foreign nations. Already Canada
and the Irish Free State have repre-
sentatives in the United States, and
doubtless the other dominions could
have done the same without inter.
ference from the imperial govern
,nent With regard to the treaty
making power. il Is no secret that
Britain expects a full and free con-
ference between the dominion gov
ernments and herself before treaties
are negotiated by any dominion. In
deed, there Is no expectation that the
newly announced policy will lead to
radical changes in the cooperation
which has existed hitherto between
the dominions and the mother coun.
cry.
One effect the Strengthening OF the
independence Of the dominions doubt
less will have here: 1t will add in
fiuence to the argument that the
United States should never enter a
League Of Nations with a single vote
while the British Empire is allowed
O vote for each of its dominions.
The visit OF Queen Marie recalled