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Lionel [Curtis] believes that the only hope for the Empire lies in New Zealand) decisively rejected the model of imperial federa- "organic unity"... I think, now, that organic unity of that kind is tion, in particular the calls for a constitutional conference that had impossible at any rate until science has revolutionised communi - _ arisen at the 1917 conference. cation and transportation, and that to try to bring on a movement The final blow came with the Balfour Declaration of 1926 (not of that kind would be almost certain to break up the Empire... If to be confused with the first Balfour Declaration of 1917 that you forced Canada to choose now between imperial federation paved the way for the founding of Israel), which finally defined us and independence, I think she would take independence. Kerr's analysis of the inherent reluc- tance of the dominions to forgo the pos- sibility of independence would soon prove quite accurate.'” Why he stayed on as Round Table editor, despite harbouring these doubts, is another matter. One explanation offered is that Kerr's "devotion to Curtis and his other friends" caused him to suppress his doubts. For Kerr, this was to be an unsuc- cessful venture and is the most likely cause of his nervous breakdown in became apparent at the 1912, leading to his withdrawal as A A tion was enforced when the British Round Table editor for nearly two imperial conferences of Parliament passed the Statute of years.'” 1921, 1923 and 1926, Westminster, which established the "legisla- During the First World War, though, it A tive independence of the dominions". It also when Canada, Australia, | oem iat of became apparent to other Round Table I 3 solemnised the renunciation by England" of members that Kerr had been right. Ata South Africa and New its "imperial mission" (Kelly).'” conference sponsored by the Empire at With that, the cause of imperial federation Parliamentary Association in 1916, for Zealand decisively was dead in the water and the ineffective- example, Milner outlined the Round Table's rejected the model of ness of the Round Table's attempts to deci- project for imperial federation, making many sively mould elite opinion revealed. references to Curtis's works, "but found that imperial federation... not one Dominion member present would the role of the dominions including their "equality" of status, "autonomy" in external and internal affairs, "common allegiance” to the Crown and "free association" within the Commonwealth.'” If the first Balfour Declaration can be said to have led to the creation of one state, the second such declaration bearing that name effectively marked the beginning of the end of the British Empire, converting it into a Commonwealth based on the free asso- ciation of its member states. On 11 December 1931, the declara- The collapse of the Round Table's crusade for imperial federation Part Four examines the Round Table's accept it" (Quigley). input into the League of Nations, and The dominions' real preference was made examines its legacy through to the present clear to all at the Imperial Defence day. Conference of 1917, at which South Africa's minister for defence, Jan Smuts, drafted a resolution calling for . About the Author: . . . "full recognition of the Dominions as autonomous nations in the will Banyan, BA (Hons), GradDip (Information Science), Isa Imperial Commonwealth". writer specialising in the political economy of globalisation. It was in response to this growing evidence of dominion _ He has worked for local and national governments as well as nationalism, according to Quigley, that the goal of imperial Some intemational organisations and the private sector. He is federation was "replaced or postponed in favour of the currently working on a revisionist history of the New World commonwealth project of free cooperation." Order and an analysis of the War on Terror. Banyan's six-part The collapse of the Round Table's crusade for imperial federa- series, "Rockefeller Internationalism", was published in tion became apparent at the imperial conferences of 1921, 1923 NEXUS 10/03-11/02. Will Banyan can be contacted by and 1926. The dominions (Canada, Australia, South Africa and email at banyan007@rediffmail.com. Continued from page 43 Federation: A Study of New Zealand of globalisation. The main political dri- Policy and Opinion, Athlone Press, vers have been the globalist elites. & Co., 1916; and Curtis, The Problem of 1955. 120. Waitt, "The Foundation of the the Commonwealth, MacMillan & Co., 118. Quoted in Watt, "The Foundation Round Table", p. 432. 1916. of the Round Table", p. 431. 121. Quigley, Tragedy and Hope, p. 115. Curtis quoted in Kendle, The 119. One might also note Philip Kerr's 147; Smuts quoted in Rose, The Round Table Movement, pp. 179-180, quite prophetic words on the impor- Cliveden Set, p. 99. 185-186; and Lavin, From Empire to tance of technological change to making 122. Lavin, From Empire to International Commonwealth, pp. 111- the dream of a truly unified global politi- International Commonwealth, p. 131; 112, 128-129. cal entity possible. As related with some W.D. Mclntyre, Colonies into 116. Amery quoted in Louis, In The enthusiasm in books such as Thomas Commonwealth, Blandford Press, 1968, Name Of God, Gol, pp. 42, 37. Friedman's The Lexus and the Olive 2nd ed., pp. 139-141; Kendle, The 117. J.D.B. Miller, "The Utopia of Tree (HarperCollins, 2000), recent rapid = Round Table Movement, p. 272. Imperial Federation", Political Studies, technological advances in communica- 123. Paul Kelly, "Child of Empire", The vol. IV (1956), p. 196, quoting Keith tions and transportation have been the Weekend Australian, 10-11 March Sinclair's monograph, Imperial main physical drivers in the currentera 2001, p. 23. The collapse of the Round Table's crusade Zealand decisively rejected the model of imperial federation... 44 = NEXUS APRIL — MAY 2005 for imperial federation South Africa and New www. nexusmagazine.com