A.-5

118

Fourth Day. 20 April 1907.

Mr. DEAKIN : I have made a suggestion in the last line but three which would perhaps meet your point, Sir Frederick; instead of reading : " without in the least interfering in questions connected with command and " administration shall be capable of advising respective Governments," and so on, it should read : " without in the least interfering in questions con- " nected with command and administration shall, at the request of the *' respective Governments, advise as to the training and education." Sir WILFRID LAURIER : That is important. Will you give me the words, Mr. Deakin ? Mr. DEAKIN : After the word " shall " in the fourth line from the bottom insert the words " at the request of " instead of " be capable of advising," and it reads on " the respective Governments advise as to the " training, education, and war organization of the military forces of the " Crown in every part of the Empire." That shows what I think was the clear intention that this staff should work with the respective Governments; it is the brain which is to be called upon by any nerve at the extremity and responds thereto. Mr. HALDANE : The expert called in. Mr. DEAKIN: Exactly, like the Committee of Imperial Defence; to make that clear I propose in the fourth line from the top after the words " recognises and affirms the need of developing " to insert " for the use of " instead of " throughout," and then omit the words " the conception of." Mr. HALDANE : " For the service of the Empire." Mr. DEAKIN : That is better—" for the service of the Empire a General Staff recruited " and so on. Sir FREDERICK BORDEN : I would say " for the service of the various Dominions." Mr. HALDANE : " For the service of the various Governments of the Empire." Dr. JAMESON : Why not the Empire by itself ? Mr. DEAKIN : We make that plain in the last part. Mr. HALDANE : " For the service of the Empire." Mr. F. R. MOOR : I think it would be better if instead of " that this " Conference without wishing to commit to immediate action " we said " that " this Conference without committing any of the Governments to immediate " action." Mr. HALDANE : Yes. Mr. F. R. MOOR : I think it would be more decided and clear. Sir JOSEPH WARD : In any case everything we do here has to be ratified by our Governments and Parliaments too.

Military Defence.