DHAP. III] THE CONFERENCE OF 1911 1513

(b) The Declaration of London and the Treaty Power
The discussion with regard to the question of the Declaration
 of London was initiated by Mr. Fisher,! who explained
that the matter on which he desired in the main to lay stress
was the fact that it was desirable that in such cases the
Dominion Governments should be consulted before international
 agreements were actually drawn up. The actual
criticisms which would be made on the terms of the agreement
 were not in his opinion of such importance, and were
matters in which he recognized the Imperial Government
must ultimately decide ; but he contended for the principle
that the time had come when it was both convenient and
proper that the self-governing Dominions should be consulted
before negotiations were agreed to.
Mr. Batchelor? also expressed the same opinion, and
pointed out that the Commonwealth had inquired in 1909
as to whether some alterations could not be made in the
terms of the Declaration, and they had been told among
other things that it was too late then to take any action.
The Commonwealth had acted as soon as they knew of the
existence of the Declaration, and his contention was that they
should have been informed of the matter at an earlier date.
The detailed criticisms put forward by Mr. Batchelor with
regard to the Declaration were in the main those which have
been urged repeatedly in this country. In Australia dissatisfaction
 was felt with the rules under which food was regarded
as conditional contraband, inasmuch as the vagueness of
the terms of the Convention might render it impossible to
send food at all to Great Britain in case of war without it
running the risk of being confiscated as being contraband
of war.
Moreover, the Australian Government objected to the provisions
 which permitted the sinking of neutral vessels by
belligerents, and they held that it would be possible on this,

i Cd. 5745, pp. 97, 98. The Conference had before them Parl. Pap.
Cd. 4554, 5418 ; House of Lords Debates, March 8, 9, and 13, and notes by
Lord Desart; Cd. 5746-1, pp. 4-20. ¢ Ibid, pp. 98 seq.