JHAP. III] THE CONFERENCE OF 1911 1509 
was made also to the Advisory Committee unanimously 
recommended by the Imperial Education Conference of 1911. 
The committee would consist of the Secretary of State for 
the Colonies, the Parliamentary and Permanent Under- 
Secretaries, the Assistant Under-Secretary for the Dominions, 
the Secretary to the Imperial Conference, the High Commis- 
sioners or other representatives of the Dominions, and in 
addition the Secretary of State would have a right to-summon 
to any meeting the political or permanent heads of other 
departments which might be specially concerned in subjects 
to be discussed. The committee would be purely advisory, 
not executive. It would be advisory of the Secretary of 
State, would deal only with matters concerning the last 
Conference or preparations for the next Conference, or any 
other matters which seemed to be appropriate questions 
between both. The Dominion Governments would in every 
case be consulted as to their willingness for the submis- 
sion of questions to the committee, and the advice of the 
committee would be given to the Secretary of State and 
communicated to the Dominion Governments through the 
Governors-General, though the High Commissioners or other 
representatives of the Dominions would of course be at liberty 
to inform their Governments of the proceedings. Apart 
from Conference questions the ordinary communications of 
the Secretary of State with the Governors-General of the 
Dominions would continue as at present. It was explained 
that the Imperial Government did not desire to press the 
appointment of such a standing committee should the 
Dominion ministers be unwilling to accept the proposal, but 
they thought that a standing authority might be of sub- 
stantial advantage in securing efficiency of working of the 
Secretariat and the Conference. 
Sir Joseph Ward ! advocated the adoption of the proposal 
subject to the omission of the express reference to the High 
Commissioners, as he preferred that the Governments should 
be left entirely free as to what representatives they should 
choose. Mr. Fisher? also considered that it was desirable, in 
! Cd. 5745, pp. 174 seq. ? Ihid., p. 176.