Evening star., 1926-11-21
BRITISH PREM|ERS
GRANT AUTONOMY
TO ALL DOM|N|ONS
Council Declares Each State
Equal in Status With d.
Mother Country.
AUTHORITY OF ENGLAND
TO MAKE PACTS LIMITED
Will Sign Only for Great Britain in
Future-Each Unit Master
of Its Own Destiny.
Bv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, November 90. - The
British Empire today entered a new
epoch. with the mother country and
the dominions officially recorded as
autonomous units, equal in status
within King Georges worldwide
realm.
Like the States of the United
States, no member of the British COM
monwealth of nations Is subordinate
to any other. England and London
remain the center of the empire by
tradition, sentiment and common al
legiance to the crown. but each self
governing member of the empire Is
master of it's own destiny.
The principle of the autonomy of
the dominions has been admitted
hitherto. but never was formally out
lined until today. when the committee
Of premiers, who have shrouded
months deliberations in Downing
Street with secrecy. made their report
on inter-imperial relations.
Dominions' Demand Realized.
BY 1t the demands of the dominions,
which Premier Hertzog of South
Africa so strongly voiced on his ar
rival in London last month. have been
fully realized.
The exact words Of the report. as
adopted by the conference, are:
The position and mutual rela-
tions of the group of self governing
communities composed of Great Brit
ain and the dominions may be readily
defined. They are autonomous com
munities within the British Empire,
,tn<,,a
dinate, one to the other. in any aspect
of their domestic or external affairs,
though united by a common allie
glance to the crown and freely associ-
ated as members of the British com
monwealth of nations"
Federation Held Impossible.
The report briefly reviewing recent
history, says the tendency of the
dcminions toward equality of status
is both right and inevitable.
Geographical and other conditions
make this impossible of attainment by
native is by way Of autonomy. "and
along this road it has been steadily
sought. Every self governing mem
Der of the empire is now master of its
destiny. In fact. If not always in
form. it Is subject to no compulsion
whatever"
The report continues: But no ac-
rount, however accurate, Of negative
relations in which Great Britain and
the dominions stand TO each other can
do more than express a portion of the
truth. The British Empire is not
founded upon negations. 1t depends
essentially. if not formally, on positive
ideals. Free institutions are it's life
blood. free cooperation its instrument,
and peace. security and progress
among its objectives."
Treaty Power Curbed.
The report opens with discussion
Of the relations between the various
parts Of the empire and declares that
a governor general should be the rep.
resentative of the crown only, not Of
the British government.
II recommends the appointment of a
special committee to consider the
competence Of the dominion parlia-
ment to give their legislation extra
territorial effect on other points aris-
ing from dominion legislation, with
subcommittee to deal with mer-
chant shipping legislation.
With regard to relations with for
eign countries the report seeks to give
full application to the resolution on
the negotiation OF treaties which was
adopted at the last conference
DIT recommends that in future
treaties the British ministers shall
sign for Great Britain instead of for
the empire, with each dominion sign
Ing for itself. Canada signing immedi-
ately after Great Britain
CIT recognizes that in foreign re-
lations neither Great Britain nor the
dominions could be committed to &C.
ceptance Of active obligations without
the definite assent OF their own gov.
ernments