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Copy No o
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2l
0 A B I g E To
IMPBRIATt QOagEREHQHi.
GCMHITgHlB OH INTBH-BSpBHIAI, RTSMTIO^S,
N o t e by t h e L o r d P r e s i d e n t
I attach
some d r a f t
of t h e
for the information
Council,,
o f my c o l l e a g u e s
p a r a g r a p h s r e l a t i n g t o the p o s i t i o n
mutual r e l a t i o n s
and
o f G r e a t B r i t a i n and t h e D o m i n i o n s ,
w h i c h h a v e b e e n p r o v i s i o n a l l y a c c e p t e d by t h e C o m m i t t e e
of P r i m e M i n i s t e r s a n d H e a d s o f D e l e g a t i o n s ,
I have the honour
to p r e s i d e
arrived at as the r e s u l t
discussionsc
2, W h i t e h a l l G a r d e n s ,
- 15th November,
S.W.1.
1926
0
This draft
of d i f f i c u l t
over
which
has been
and p r o l o n g e d
The Committee a r e of o p i n i o n t h a t n o t h i n g would
be g a i n e d by a t t e m p t i n g t o d e f i n e t h e
of t h e B r i t i s h E m p i r e ,
have v e r y d i f f e r e n t
Constitution
I t s widely scattered
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , very
h i s t o r i e s , and a r e a t v e r y d i f f e r e n t
q
parts
different
s t a g e s of
evolu­
t i o n ; w h i l e , considered as a whole, i t d e f i e s
classi­
f i c a t i o n and b e a r s no r e a l r e s e m b l a n c e t o a n y o t h e r
political
yet been
o r g a n i s a t i o n which now e x i s t s or h a s
ever
tried,
There i s , however,
one most i m p o r t a n t
element
i n i t w h i c h , from a s t r i c t l y c o n s t i t u t i o n a l p o i n t
v i e w , h a s now
its full
7
as r e g a r d s a l l v i t a l m a t t e r s ,
development;
self-governing
- we r e f e r
reached
t o t h e group of
c o m m u n i t i e s composed of G r e a t
and t h e D o m i n i o n s .
They a r e autonomous
within the BritishJ^Pj-£em
relation
communities
e q u a l i n s t a t u s , i n no way
s u b o r d i n a t e one t o a n o t h e r i n any a s p e c t
or e x t e r n a l a f f a i r s ,
Britain
T h e i r p o s i t i o n and . . u t u a l
may be r e a d i l y d e f i n e d .
of
of t h e i r
domestic
t h o u g h u n i t e d by a common
a l l e g i a n c e t o t h e Crown,, and f r e e l y a s s o c i a t e d a s members
of t h e B r i t i s h
Commonwealth of E a t i o n s .
A foreigner
character
endeavouring to understand t h e
of t h e B r i t i s h E m p i r e by t h e a i d of
f p r m u l a a l o n e might be tempted, t o t h i n k t h a t
d e v i s e d r a t h e r t o make m u t u a l i n t e r f e r e n c e
t h a n t o make m u t u a l c o - o p e r a t i o n
Such a c r i t i c i s m , h o w e v e r ,
the h i s t o r i c situation.
true
this
i t was
impossible
easy.
completely
ignores
The r a p i d e v o l u t i o n of
the
O v e r s e a s Dominions d u r i n g t h e l a s t f i f t y y e a r s h a s
i n v o l v e d many c o m p l i c a t e d a d j u s t m e n t s
machinery t o changing c o n d i t i o n s ,
of old
The t e n d e n c y
t o w a r d s e q u a l i t y of s t a t u s was b o t h r i g h t
and
G e o g r a p h i c a l and o t h e r c o n d i t i o n s made t h i s
of a t t a i n m e n t by t h e way of
political
federation.
inevitable.
impossible
The o n l y al4;oxnative-Tra-B "by t h e -vmy-of * a u t o n o m y ;
along t h i s
road i t h a s b e e n s t e a d i l y
s e l f - g o v e r n i n g member of
of i t 3 d e s t i n y .
s u b j e c t t o no c o m p u l s i o n
relations
Every
t h e E m p i r e i s now t h e m a s t e r
In f a c t ,
B u t no a c c o u n t ,
sought.
and
n o t alvrayB i n f o r m ,
if
it
is
whatever.
however a c c u r a t e ,
of t h e
negative
i n w h i c h G r e a t B r i t a i n and t h e D o m i n i o n s
s t a n d t o e a c h o t h e r c a n do more t h a n e x p r e s s a p o r t i o n
of t h e t r u t h .
The B r i t i s h E m p i r e i s n o t f o u n d e d
or m a i n l y u p o n n e g a t i o n s .
not f o r m a l l y ,
are i t s
Peace,
I t depends e s s e n t i a l l y ,
on p o s i t i v e
life-blood.
ideals.
Free
Free c o - o p e r a t i o n Is i t s
thereby o b t a i n e d .
its
the s o l e
co-operation,
our o p i n i o n , b e t h e r e b y
E q u a l i t y of s t a t u s ,
Dominions a r e c o n c e r n e d ,
of
r e s u l t s have been
j u d g e of t h e
now,
nature
no common c a u s e w i l l ,
in
imperilled.
s o f a r a s B r i t a i n and
is
thus
g o v e r n i n g our i n t e r - I m p e r i a l
principles
discussed
And t h o u g h e v e r y D o m i n i o n i s
and m u s t a l w a y s r e m a i n ,
and e x t e n t o f
excellent
instrument.
objects.
t h e s e g r e a t themes have been
at the p r e s e n t Conference:
if
institutions
s e c u r i t y and p r o g r e s s a r e among i t s
A s p e c t s of a l l
solely
the root
relations.
e q u a l i t y and s i m i l a r i t y ,
stating, cannot be u n i v e r s a l l y
the
principle
But
the
appropriate
extended to
to
function,
h e r e we r e q u i r e s o m e t h i n g more t h a n immutable d o g m a s .
For example,
to deal with questions
of d i p l o m a c y and
q u e s t i o n s o f d e f e n c e we r e q u i r e a l s o f l e x i b l e
machinery:­
machinery which c a n , from time to t i m e , be adapted
the changing c i r c u m s t a n c e s
of
the world.
a l s o has occupied the a t t e n t i o n
intended to supply
of
(if necessary)
etc
This
subject
(This
a bridge to a l l
o t h e r s u b j e c t s on w h i c h t h e C o n f e r e n c e h a s b e e n
A. J". B .
* **
S&er 1 5 t h ,
1926.
to
is
the
engaged.)