,Last year in these notes, as readers cif the Spectator
will - recall; I advocated the summoning of leaders of the Opposition throughout the Empire to our Imperial Conferences of the future. It is not without interest, therefore, to note that the Colonial Secretary, in a recent speech dealing with the last Imperial Conference,' referred to the fact that the majority of those who attended it were now out of office. Mr. Thomas con- tinued that he would take the risk in future of inviting to the Conferences not only the Government of the day but the leader of the responsible Opposition. Let us hope that it - will be found practicable to adopt this suggestion. In commenting on Mr. ThOmas's speech, the Johannesburg Star wrote :— " In a preihous speech Mr. Thomas discussed the question whether the Conference could not be made representative of all parties. This at first sight would seem to be the moat effective way of dealing with the position, but there is the serious objection to it, if the delegates were not the actual heads of their respective Governments, there would be a danger of the Conference becoming a mere debat-ng society, and oversee, Ministers could not afford the time to attend meetings of that disc:iption."
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