CHAP. V] TREATY RELATIONS 1157
have no voice in determining Imperial policy, and Australia
clearly holds the same view, for just as much as Canada she
has insisted on the fact that she should maintain supreme
control over her fleet, leaving her free to place it at the
disposal of the Imperial Government or not as she may
deem desirable! and the idea of forces maintained by the
Colonies at Imperial expense for Imperial purposes, proposed
by Mr. Seddon at the Imperial Conference of 1902, was not
accepted by any Dominion, nor ultimately adopted even
by New Zealand.
See Parl. Pap., Cd. 4288; Parliamentary Debates, 1910, pp. 4728
seq. ; Parl. Pap., Cd. 5746-2 ; British Australasian, September 21, 1911.
Mr. Fisher at the Conference of 1911 was prepared to accept consultation by
the Imperial Government on all topics, while Sir W. Laurier insisted that
consultation must be left to the discretion of the Imperial Government, as
a right to be consulted involved responsibility for war, but his view is really
that of Sir W. Laurier ; Standard of Empire, September 2, 1911, p. 8.
But the Canadian elections of September 21, 1911, show the strength of
British sentiment despite the attractions of material gains ; the reciprocity
agreement was in effect rejected by a majority much larger than that (41)
possessed by Sir W. Laurier when the obstruction of the Opposition com-
pelled him to appeal to the country, eight ministers, including Mr. Fielding
and Mr. Paterson, the negotiators of the agreement, losing their seats. No
doubt the incautious references of American politicians to possible political
results counted for much. On the naval question the attitude of the
Conservative leader has been mainly to emphasize the need of close co-
operation with the British fleet. On the other hand, the Nationalist party
in Quebec condemned Sir W. Laurier for his excessive imperialism and for
dragging Canada into British wars.
The idea of neutrality was revived, through a misunderstanding of
Sir W. Laurie's attitude at the Conference, by the Volksstem in South
Africa; it has been effectively repudiated by General Botha (see Times,
July 28; Morning Post, August 3, 8, 16; The State, vi. 181 seq.; The
Round Table, i. No. 4).
