JHAP. 111] THE CONFERENCE OF 1911 1515 
Conventions. He was quite prepared that in the future the 
Dominions should be consulted, and that representatives 
should take part in any inter-departmental Conference which 
might be held to discuss such questions, but he emphasized 
the fact that in many cases it would be necessary in the 
actual course of negotiations for the Foreign Secretary to 
accept responsibility for a decision, just as indeed he did 
with regard to the other members of the Imperial Cabinet ; 
time would often not permit of the formal consultation of 
any one save the Prime Minister on such questions as these. 
Sir Wilfrid Laurier! was not, however, quite prepared to 
accept the principle that the Dominions must be consulted 
with regard to treaties of a political character. This implied, 
in his opinion, that the Dominions were prepared automati- 
cally to put their forces in time of war at the disposal of the 
Mother Country, and this was essentially a step which 
Canada was not yet prepared to take. 
As regards the actual terms of the Declaration of London, 
he thought that they were a very great improvement on the 
existing condition of affairs. and that they should be accepted 
gladly. 
Sir Joseph Ward ? shared the views of Mr. Fisher as to the 
desirability of consulting all the Dominions with regard to 
treaties, and he explained at length the reasons which 
induced him to believe that the Declaration of London was 
in every respect an admirable arrangement. 
Dr. Findlay? also, as a lawyer, explained in detail his con- 
vibtion of the great merits of the Declaration as an attempt 
bo settle many vexed questions of international law. 
On the resumption of the discussion of the Declaration of 
London on June 2, General Botha * expressed his view that 
it was in the highest interests of the Empire that the Imperial 
Government should not definitely bind itself to any agreement 
with a foreign country which might affect a particular 
Dominion without first consulting that Dominion. South 
Africa had no grievance in the past on this head, but he 
L Cd. 5745, pp. 116, 117. * Ibid., pp. 118, 119. 
¢ Ibid., pp. 120 seq. ! Thid., pp. 125-9,