CHAP. V] TREATY RELATIONS 1157 
have no voice in determining Imperial policy, and Australia 
clearly holds the same view, for just as much as Canada she 
has insisted on the fact that she should maintain supreme 
control over her fleet, leaving her free to place it at the 
disposal of the Imperial Government or not as she may 
deem desirable! and the idea of forces maintained by the 
Colonies at Imperial expense for Imperial purposes, proposed 
by Mr. Seddon at the Imperial Conference of 1902, was not 
accepted by any Dominion, nor ultimately adopted even 
by New Zealand. 
See Parl. Pap., Cd. 4288; Parliamentary Debates, 1910, pp. 4728 
seq. ; Parl. Pap., Cd. 5746-2 ; British Australasian, September 21, 1911. 
Mr. Fisher at the Conference of 1911 was prepared to accept consultation by 
the Imperial Government on all topics, while Sir W. Laurier insisted that 
consultation must be left to the discretion of the Imperial Government, as 
a right to be consulted involved responsibility for war, but his view is really 
that of Sir W. Laurier ; Standard of Empire, September 2, 1911, p. 8. 
But the Canadian elections of September 21, 1911, show the strength of 
British sentiment despite the attractions of material gains ; the reciprocity 
agreement was in effect rejected by a majority much larger than that (41) 
possessed by Sir W. Laurier when the obstruction of the Opposition com- 
pelled him to appeal to the country, eight ministers, including Mr. Fielding 
and Mr. Paterson, the negotiators of the agreement, losing their seats. No 
doubt the incautious references of American politicians to possible political 
results counted for much. On the naval question the attitude of the 
Conservative leader has been mainly to emphasize the need of close co- 
operation with the British fleet. On the other hand, the Nationalist party 
in Quebec condemned Sir W. Laurier for his excessive imperialism and for 
dragging Canada into British wars. 
The idea of neutrality was revived, through a misunderstanding of 
Sir W. Laurie's attitude at the Conference, by the Volksstem in South 
Africa; it has been effectively repudiated by General Botha (see Times, 
July 28; Morning Post, August 3, 8, 16; The State, vi. 181 seq.; The 
Round Table, i. No. 4).