1288 ADMINISTRATION AND LEGISLATION [pARTV
Committee of Imperial Defence, or of other expert advisers
of His Majesty’s Government. I am addressing a similar
message to the other members of the Imperial Conference.’
I am strongly of opinion that an early confidential exchange
of views between His Majesty’s Government and the Govern-
ments of His Majesty’s self-governing Dominions beyond
the seas will be of the greatest mutual advantage, and I
therefore trust that your Prime Minister and his colleagues
will see their way to adopt the proposal.
[To Newfoundland only : At present juncture?! I presume
your Prime Minister will suspend definite answer until the
elections are over.]
[To Cape only : I recognize that at the present time the
Government of Cape Colony in common with the other South
African Governments which are contemplating the proba-
bility of early union may not be in a position to take an active
part in such a Conference, but the absence of any represen-
tatives of the South African Dominions from its deliberations
would be a serious detriment to the completeness of the
Nan ference.
The Conference met on July 29 and sat several times.
Before it came together a coalition in Australia had changed
the composition and the policy of the Commonwealth
Government and had led to the decision to offer assistance
in the form of a ‘ Dreadnought’, -
A statement was made in the House of Commons by the
Prime Minister, the Right Honourable H. H. Asquith, M.P..
m August 26, in these terms :—?2
The Conference, which has just concluded its labours,
was convened under the terms of Resolution I of the
Conference of 1907. In the invitation sent by His Majesty’s
Government at the end of April to the Governments of the
Dominions, it was stated that the object of the Conference
would be to discuss the general question of Naval and
Military Defence of the Empire, with special reference to
recent proposals from New Zealand and Australia, and to
the Resolution passed on March 29 by the House of Commons
of the Dominion of Canada. It was further stated that the
Conference would be of a purely consultative character,
and that it would be held in private. It follows that all
- Viz. a general election, the House of 36 members being equally divided.
* House of Commons Debates, ix. 1310-3,
