CHAP. III] THE CONFERENCE OF 1911 1519
obligations of old treaties; he recognized that the Govern-
ment in commercial treaties never now bound the Dominions
without consultation, and that the old treaties were historical
relics, but he asked for their alteration, if possible, in the
interest of the Dominions, just as the German and Belgian
treaties had been got rid of. The other ministers concurred,
and Sir E. Grey?! at once readily accepted the proposal,
which was in harmony with the modern view of the treaty
power as it affected the Dominions, but as there might be
difficulties in the process, he explained that if any Powers
declined to permit the separate withdrawal of the Dominions,
the Government would endeavour to negotiate new treaties
with the usual separate adherence and withdrawal clauses,
on the understanding that the old treaties would be abrogated
by the new, but without denouncing the old treaties until
new treaties had been agreed upon. If the Powers refused
to accept the proposals, the matter could stand over for the
next Imperial Conference to consider.
{(¢) British Shipping and British Indians
On June 2, after the discussion of navigation law and
treaties, Mv. Fisher 2 moved the resolution of the Govern-
ment of Australia in favour of uniformity in the treatment
of British shipping. Mr. Pearce,® on behalf of the Common-
wealth Government, took exception to the control by the
Imperial Government of merchant shipping legislation in the
Dominions. He held that the Board of Trade should not
take exception to Dominion legislation before it had actually
become law, and he maintained that the Government of
Australia had no desire to interfere unfairly with British
shipping, but were merely anxious to see that British ships
did not compete unfairly with Australian vessels.
Sir Joseph Ward, on the other hand, thought that it was
perfectly fair that the Imperial Government should call the
attention of the Dominions to questions of merchant shipping
- Cd. 5745, pp. 336-8; House of Commons Debates, xxx. 703, 704.
' Thid,, p. 143. * Ibid., pp. 144, 145. ¢ Ibid., p. 149.
Ee
