CHAP. V] TREATY RELATIONS 1133 
At the Conference on Electrical Units and Standards held 
in London in October 1908, votes were accorded to Canada 
and Australia, as well as to India. Moreover, at minor Con- 
ferences all the Dominions, including the State Governments, 
are sometimes represented, and have votes, but these are 
business matters, and in postal and telegraphic matters direct 
communications with foreign Governments have long been 
approved by the Imperial Government. It would be a com- 
pletely different thing to approve direct communications on 
political matters or the direct negotiation of treaties proper, 
and it would clearly be in theory a termination of the 
existing unity of the Empire, and the fundamental alteration 
of its Constitution! But the strict theory allows of a good 
deal of latitude : thus in 1904 the Australian Government 
agreed to give Japanese merchants, students, and tourists 
certain facilities in entering Australia? just as Queensland 
had done in 1900, in both cases by direct negotiation with 
the Japanese Consul, and the negotiations between Canadian 
Ministers and the German Consul-General, the Royal Consul 
of Italy, and the American Secretary of State were all direct, 
though they did not result in treaties technically so called, 
and in the latter case the Ambassador was consulted, while in 
all cases Imperial approval was accorded. In fact, the present 
day recognizes both formal treaties and informal agreements 
as being part of the foreign relations of the Dominions. 
The question of the relations between the Dominions and 
His Majesty’s Government with regard to foreign affairs was 
considered at great length in connexion with the Western 
Pacific.’ Australia and New Zealand were naturally deeply 
interested in the large number of islands scattered through 
the Western Pacific. In the quite early days strong represen- 
tations were made in favour of the annexation of islands to 
Great Britain. The matter was elaborately discussed in 
connexion with the question of the annexation of Fiji, and 
the Imperial Government decided in 1874 to acquire control 
over the group. 
' Cf. Amery, United Empire, i. 487 seq. 
* Commonwealth Parl, Pap., 1903, No. 61. Cf. Canada Sess. Pay. 
1910, Nos. 10 g bh, i,j. 
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