CHAP. V] TREATY RELATIONS 1133
At the Conference on Electrical Units and Standards held
in London in October 1908, votes were accorded to Canada
and Australia, as well as to India. Moreover, at minor Con-
ferences all the Dominions, including the State Governments,
are sometimes represented, and have votes, but these are
business matters, and in postal and telegraphic matters direct
communications with foreign Governments have long been
approved by the Imperial Government. It would be a com-
pletely different thing to approve direct communications on
political matters or the direct negotiation of treaties proper,
and it would clearly be in theory a termination of the
existing unity of the Empire, and the fundamental alteration
of its Constitution! But the strict theory allows of a good
deal of latitude : thus in 1904 the Australian Government
agreed to give Japanese merchants, students, and tourists
certain facilities in entering Australia? just as Queensland
had done in 1900, in both cases by direct negotiation with
the Japanese Consul, and the negotiations between Canadian
Ministers and the German Consul-General, the Royal Consul
of Italy, and the American Secretary of State were all direct,
though they did not result in treaties technically so called,
and in the latter case the Ambassador was consulted, while in
all cases Imperial approval was accorded. In fact, the present
day recognizes both formal treaties and informal agreements
as being part of the foreign relations of the Dominions.
The question of the relations between the Dominions and
His Majesty’s Government with regard to foreign affairs was
considered at great length in connexion with the Western
Pacific.’ Australia and New Zealand were naturally deeply
interested in the large number of islands scattered through
the Western Pacific. In the quite early days strong represen-
tations were made in favour of the annexation of islands to
Great Britain. The matter was elaborately discussed in
connexion with the question of the annexation of Fiji, and
the Imperial Government decided in 1874 to acquire control
over the group.
' Cf. Amery, United Empire, i. 487 seq.
* Commonwealth Parl, Pap., 1903, No. 61. Cf. Canada Sess. Pay.
1910, Nos. 10 g bh, i,j.
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