cHAP. 11] THE CONFERENCE OF 1911 1517
Declaration, and Mr. Asquith! explained that the Govern-
ment would attach considerable importance to the passing
of such a resolution. The Declaration was a tremendous
step in advance. It laid down a code of international law,
and it set up an International Court which might be trusted
to act impartially in the administration of the code. Nor by
the ratification of the Declaration would the Imperial Govern-
ment prejudice their position with regard to obtaining further
improvements in the state of international law in due course.
Mr. Fisher, however, was not prepared to approve wholly
of the Declaration. It would be wrong indeed to abandon
such a great step in advance, and while under the circum-
stances the Government of the Commonwealth could not
give their full approval, they would go so far as not to
oppose the resolution, which was then passed, the Common-
wealth of Australia abstaining from the vote.?
The remainder of the morning session of June 2 was occupied
in a discussion of commercial relations and British shipping.
Mr. Pearce? on behalf of the Commonwealth, reminded
the Conference of the fierceness of the competition which
British shipping had to undergo at the hands of subsidized
foreign shipping which was available for use in time of war
by the foreign Governments which subsidized it. To give
an advantage to British shipping the Commonwealth Govern-
ment in 1906 had proposed to give a preference of 5 per cent.
bo British goods carried by British ships, manned by white
labour, but the Bill had been reserved on the ground that the
proposal conflicted with treaties between the United Kingdom
and foreign countries. Mr. Pearce urged that these treaties,
which were not, he understood, of much importance, should
be denounced in so far at any rate as they affected the
Dominions and prevented action in favour of British ship-
ping. He admitted that in this case the condition of manning
by white labour had caused a further difficulty, but that
was not the ground on which the matter had broken down,
‘ Cd. 5745, pp. 132, 133. ? Ibid, pp. 133, 134.
* Ibid., pp. 134-6; cf. Mr. Glynn in Commonwealth Parliamentary
Debates, 1911, pp. 172 seq.
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