n u v
D.0.3a.
Subject :
Reference to previous correspondence:
With tho compliments of
A copy has also been sent to l/f**f ,f
Dominions Office, Downing Street,
6 MAY 1939
103
(1119521 Wt 323tfl/35R« 1.000 2'3fl H « Sp Op8IO
(RB639)   Wt l&5*8'3«7   30.000(4) 7/38
301 HIO;i'i' IMMUUfc JJ^K
*9 V | L
CONFjL.-fr'ilAL.
¦•.7.
muMtcai,
i^7th March, 1969
Sir,
I have the honour to report that the announcement
here on the 18th iiarch of the forthcoming meeting in Wellington,
of representativea of the United Kingdom, New Zealand and
•ustrelia, to discuss Pacific tiueationa of coa .on concern, with
apeclal reference to aefenoe questions, haa been welcomed by
all aectiona of opinion, aa represented in the preae of ;<ew
Zealand.     .special gratification haa been felt, and expressed,
that the initiative in suggesting the Conference came from the
flew Zealand Government.    The Opposition have taken tola part
of the statement aa a satisfactory sign that the Government are
no longer indifferent to the responsibilities of the Dominion
as a partner in the defence of the Kmpire, whilst the Labour
Party's organ has acclalaed this further evidence of the
\ ,s
v ¦
"enlightened leadership of Mr. lavage, alwaye a staunch
advocate of the principle of collective security1*, and
considers the Conference an effective reply to those who
criticize the ooveroment for insufficient attention to defence
problems.
2.     The most inter sting of the press articlea so far
occasioned by the Conference is one in the Christchurch "I roes
In welcoming the statement, this paper suggests th^t Imperial
Conferences are dominated to such an extent by the political
situation prevailing at the tiae in each of the Kmpire countries
that the conclusions represent the minimum rather than tne
maximum of constructive collective action of which the
Commonwealth is capaLle; regional conferences on such matters
as do not concern all Members of the Commonwealth, such as
shipping in the I acifio or African problems, may therefore
provide more hopeful proapecta of aucoeaaful co-opera^^
¦
copy or the article Is enclosed. \
5. It is noteworthy that oil the press comment which
has so far appeared has concentrated on the defence aspect of
the proposed discussions, to the exclusion of other . acifie
problems.
U.     Although the -\ew Zealund Government are undoubtedly
eager f or ttie Conference to supply them with the answers to
various specific defence questions to which I have referred in
telegraphic correspondence , Ministers have not so far indicated
in their conversations with me that they attach as great
importance to the proceedings as do the Service Departments.
The latter nope above all that the mere holding of the
Conference in the dominion will encourage the public to talcs I J
more interest in defence questions than they have up to now
displayed.
6. Possibly a subsidiary result will be to bring home
to the Hew Zealand administration, as the headquarters of tne
Conference, both the difficulty and tne importance of
obtaining agreement, even on day-to-day matters, between the
various delegations - a point which, as visitors to Imperial"
Conferences in Lonaon or Ottawa, they have probably never yet
the opportunity of contacts with over-sea delegations which will be
fully appreciated.    Not the least advantage will be/afforded
to many service officers and members of the Public service.
These cannot fail to broaden tnelr outlook on Imperial prptfMSjj
I have, etc. ,
(3gd)    H.  y. 3ATTRHBKB.
high Commissioner.
*r~=...... ¦
Kxtract from 'The chrlstohurch | ress"
dated m| March,
A   Bttflm    IMi^XAL Cv\ySxo*iCK
The conference of representatives of the British,
Australian, and Jtew Zealand Governments which will meet In
*sllington snortly to ulscuss I MCifio defenoe problems may
be the beginning of an interesting and important development
in the technique of Imperial relationships.   I artioularly
aince 1931, there has been a growing feeling t.at Imperial
Conferences, although useful for the personal contacts tney
establish amon* the political leaders and high officials of
the British Commonwealth, are unsatisfactory as s means of
securing effective Joint action.    The apparent success of
the Ottawa Conference in securing tne adoption of an Imperial
scheme of reciprocal trade preferences does not invalidate
this criticism, since the Ottawa system is gradually being
discarded and there is no desire for another conference on
the model of Ottawa.    For the failure of Imperial Conferences
to produce results in the sphere of constructive action tnere
are two main reasons.    Cne is tnat, although experts and
officials are in attendance, the conferences are invariably
dominated by political considerations.    Almost invariably,
wxiat determines the attitude of tne - rime Minister of a
dominion to any propossl is, not tne benefits to the
Commonweslth which may result from its adoption, but the
effect of its Rao, tion upon the immediate political situation
in his own country.   iiut the more important reason is that
the Imperial Conferences assume s homogeneity of social and
economic structure, of interests, and of Ideals among the
nations of the Commonwealth which in fact does not exist.
They assume wrongly that the same unanimity which has been
achieved in the past in the development of the
constitutional /
constitutional rel> tions of the nations of the Commonwealth
is possible also in trace rslatio.ns, in foreign policy, and
in defence.    Combined wltn tne need for ununiaoua aecisions,
tnis assumption has reduced tne achievements of most
conferences to the evolution of formulae too vague to be of
practical vaius.    Tne pace of any conference la dictated by
its ;aost reluctant member.    The decisions of Imperial
Conferences represent, tnereforet the minimum rather than
tne maximum of constructive collective action of which the
British Commonwealth is capable.    The problem is to find a
technique of co-operation which, without supplanting the
Imperial Conference* will better express the essential unit/
of the commonwealth; and it may be that the Hew Zealand
.overnment, as the original promoter of the taclfic aefence
conference* nas shown the way to a partial solution of the
problem.    Tula conference is a practical recognition of the
Important fact that, within the British Commonwealth, there
are interest groups which constitute the best basis for
collective action.    In this instance, it has been realised
that Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and the British
colonies in the ¦ nolflc have a comaon aefence problem. The
ascitic shipping problem oroutes another group consisting
Great Britain, Australia, few Lealana and Canada.    In Africa,
tne aefence problem has empaasised the community of interest^
among creat Britain, the Union of South Africa, the Uhodeelaa,
and the British colonies and mandated territories in Africa.
The otner peculiarity of the rucific defence conference
attributable mainly to the need for haste and the technics
nature of the questions it will discuss, is that it will be
made up entirely of experts and permanent officials, i'or
that reason, its decisions can be no more taan recommendation
to tie governments concerned; but it la probable tnat It wlXX^
lead to speedier uotlon than a conference of plenlpotentlar
Its order of reference la, of course, limited to defenos; but
defence,
of
defence, In the modern world 1b not merely or even mainly
u matter of armies, navies, nnd elr forces.    There seems at
least a possibility that the governments repreeented at the
I aclflc oefeno* conference will by decrees be drawn Into
oolleotive action on problems of truue. Industrial production
and foreign policy by the same necessities waiea have drawn
them into collective Motion on the uefence problem.