right to an equal place with man in the counsels of the nation should be thus practically recognized. A Bill to give effect to the resolution has been introduced by Lord Robert Cecil. Its one and only clause reads: 'A woman shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage. from being elected to sit, sitting or voting, as a member in the Commons House of Parliament.'

There has just been presented to Parliament a bulky volume containing a selection from the resolutions passed by the Imperial War Conference in June and July last, extracts from the minutes of proceedings, and a series of memoranda submitted to the Conference on various topics which came under discussion. Necessarily, the document covers only part of the ground, since a large portion of the proceedings was of a highly confidential character, while other parts, although not essentially confidential, are unsuitable for publication at the present juncture. Such of the findings and discussions as are disclosed, however, are of considerable interest and importance, and sufficiently demonstrate the need for, and the value of, these periodical consultations of representative Empire statesmen.

In an earlier letter I indicated some of the principal topics dealt with at the Conference, but it will doubtless be of interest if I deal with the essential features of some of the main proposals in somewhat greater detail.

(1) Demobilization: The Conference agreed that an advisory and executive committee-to be known as the "Military Demobilization Committee of the British Empire" should be set up forthwith:

(a) To consist of representatives of the military authorities of the Dominions and Colonies, and of representatives of the War Office, India Office, and Ministry of Shipping, under the Chairmanship of the Secretary of State for War, or someone deputed by him; the secretariat of the

committee to be provided by the Mobilization Di rectorate of the War Office.

(b) To consider all military questions of demobilization affecting the various Governments concerned by: (1) Making decisions in regard to matters of detail; (2) submitting questions of principle which may arise from time to time to the Government or Governments concerned; (3) Arranging for the fullest exchange of information with regard to plans for demobilization;

(c) To sit, prior to general demobilization, at such time as may be considered necessary by the chairman; during demobilization, as frequently as may be necessary to secure the complete mutual co-ordination of the demobilization procedure of the various Governments concerned.

(2) Control of Raw Materials: The Conference agreed that it was necessary to secure for the British Empire and the belligerent Allies the command of certain essential raw materials in order to enable them to repair the effects of the war as soon as possible and to safeguard their industrial requirements, and further expressed the opinion that the Governments of the Empire should make such arrangements amongst themselves as would ensure that essential raw materials produced within the Empire would be available for the above purposes, and should arrange with the Allied countries to utilise for the same purposes essential raw materials produced in those countries. To assist the Governments in determining their action in this respect, the Conference recommended: (1) That a committee of its members should first consider the possible methods in each part of the Empire of obtaining command of each of the essential raw materials; (2) That the Governments represented at the Conference should, in the light of the information collected by their representatives on the committee, consult with the representatives of the producers and trades concerned as to the method of obtaining com

mand best suited to each individual commodity. The Conference further recommended the Governments of the Empire to consider immediately what steps could be taken to co-operate with the efforts of the Imperial Government to promote the successful development of the dye industry in the British Empire, and so to avoid enemy domination over our essential industries. A resolution was also passed commending to the attention of the various Governments a memorandum submitted to the Conference on the growing importance for naval, military and industrial use of maintaining and increasing the supply of petroleum.

(3) Shipping and Cable Communications: In order to maintain satisfactorily the connections, and at the same time encourage commercial and industrial relations between the different countries of the Empire, the Conference was of opinion that shipping on the principal routes, especially between the heart of the Empire and the Oversea Dominions, including India, should be brought under review by an Inter-Imperial Board on which the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Dependencies should be represented. For this purpose an Imperial Investigation Board, representing the various parts of the Empire, should be appointed, with power to inquire into and report on all matters connected with ocean freights and facilities, and on all matters connected with the development and improvement of the sea communications between the different parts of the Empire, with special reference to the size and type of ships, and the capacities of harbours; the Board to include, in addition to representatives of the Governments concerned, persons with expert knowledge of the problems involved, including representatives of the shipping and trading interests.

It was the opinion of the Conference that it is in the highest interests of the Empire that the rates for telegraphic communications between the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Africa and India, should be further materially reduced as soon as prac

ticable, and that in order to secure generally the cheapest and most secure telegraphic communication between the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand it is desirable that they should co-operate in the provision of a State-owned cable across the Atlantic.

(4) Inter-Imperial Parcels Delivery: For the purpose of encouraging Imperial trade it was considered desirable that the present facilities for inter-Imperial parcels delivery should be enlarged, improved and coordinated, and it was recommended that proposals to this end submitted by the Board of Trade should be examined by the Governments represented at the Conference with the view to the preparation of a detailed scheme.

(5) Empire News Service: The Conference was impressed with the importance of securing (a) that an adequate news service should be available in all parts. of the British Empire, and (b) that this service should be supplied through British sources. His Majesty's Government were therefore requested to formulate a scheme with these objects in view on the lines indicated in a memorandum prepared by the Minister of Information, and to submit it for the consideration of the Governments represented.

(6) Emigration: The Conference reaffirmed the principle in favour of arrangements being made by which intending emigrants from the United Kingdom might be induced to settle in countries under the British flag. It was of opinion that the representatives of the Oversea Dominions of the United Kingdom should keep in the closest touch with any new body established by His Majesty's Government to supervise emigration from the United Kingdom, and that the appointment of a Consultative Committee, not to exceed ten members, on which representatives of the Oversea Dominions should sit, to advise any such body, would afford the best means of co-operation.

(7) Naturalization: With regard to naturalization, the following resolution was passed by the majority of the Conference, the Canadian representatives abstaining from voting, and the South African representatives recording dissent:

"This Conference is of opinion that legislation should be passed throughout the Empire restricting, for a period after the war, so far as in the circumstances of each country may be possible, the naturalization of citizens of present enemy countries, and also the acquisition by them of any form of political rights or of land or mining privileges."

In view of the importance of securing uniformity of policy and action throughout the Empire with regard to naturalization, it was recommended that a special Conference, representative of all parts of the Empire, should be held at the earliest practicable date to examine and report upon any question connected with nationality or naturalization which any Government represented at the special Conference might desire to raise, and upon any suggestions made for the amendment of the existing law.

(8) Channels of Communication: The Report contains full details of the discussion at the Conference on the proposal that the development which has taken place in the relations between the United Kingdom and the Dominions necessitates such a change in the administrative arrangements and in the channels of communication between the Governments of the Dominions and the Government of the United Kingdom as will bring them more directly into touch with each other. The Conference commended the subject to the "immediate consideration" of the Imperial War Cabinet. The result was that on July 30th the Imperial War Cabinet passed the resolutions which were published at the time in favour of direct communication between the Dominion Prime Ministers and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and of the nomination by each Dominion Prime Minister of a member of his Cabinet, 'either as a resident or visitor in London, to represent him at meetings of the Imperial War