1518 IMPERIAL UNITY [PART VIII
and the question might be discussed quite apart from the
general policy of the British Government in eking out even-
handed treatment to all sections of the population of the
Empire whether white or coloured.
In replying for the Board of Trade Mr. Buxton ! expressed
the appreciation of the Imperial Government of the desire
of the Commonwealth Government to assist British shipping,
but the matter had to be considered in connexion with
British shipping all over the world, and it was not merely
a question of denouncing treaties, but of the effect of such
denunciation on trade elsewhere.
Sir Wilfrid Laurier * took up the treaty question in con-
nexion with the position of Canada in the most-favoured-
nation treaties, which compelled Canada to concede to some
twelve countries the same advantages which it had given
to the United States and to France. He proposed at a later
date to move a resolution requesting His Majesty’s Govern-
ment to open negotiations with the several foreign Govern-
ments having treaties which applied to the overseas
Dominions, with a view to securing liberty for any of those
Dominions which might so desire to withdraw from the opera-
tion of the treaty without impairing the treaty in respect
to the rest of the Empire.
Sir Joseph Ward? thought it advisable that every assist-
ance should be given to British shipping as against heavily
subsidized foreign shipping, but he deferred an opinion on the
freaty question pending Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s explanation
of his resolution, and he also deferred for the fuller discussion
as regards navigation, on June 19, the question of the
employment of coloured seamen on British ships.
On the resumption of the treaty discussion on June 186,
little difficulty was found in arriving at an agreement.
Sir W. Laurier 4 pressed for the removal if possible of the
t Cd. 5745, pp. 136-8. * Ibid., pp. 138, 139. 8 Ibid., pp. 139 seq.
* Ibid., pp. 334-6, where Sir Wilfrid answered the arguments adduced
in The Times of June 7, 1911, that his new proposals involved a breach of
the commercial unity of the Empire, by insisting that, with different fiscal
systems in every part. no such unity was possible or actual. Cf. p. 1153.
