io CONSTITUTIONAL LA W OF BRITISH DOMINIONS
Chapter the Dominions in declaring at tlie War Conference of
L 1917 that a Constitutional Conference should be held
after the close of hostilities to recast the constitution
of the Empire on the basis of the maintenance of the
autonomy of the Dominions. Even during the course
of hostilities x Sir R. Borden was able to secure for
Canada virtual control of her own division, and with
the aid of Mr. Hughes and General Smuts he secured
from the British Government and the allied powers
acceptance of the right of the Dominions to distinct
representation at the Peace Conference of 1919, and the
vital concession of separate membership of the League
of Nations with its implication of international status.
This success was followed by insistence on the with-
holding of the formal British ratification of the peace
treaties until Dominion concurrence had been secured,
and in 1920 Sir K. Borden's efforts were crowned by
the concession by the British Government of the right
of the Dominion to have a Minister Plenipotentiary
accredited to the President of the United States in
order to represent at Washington those interests which
were distinctively Canadian.
The Imperial Conference of 1921 seemed indeed to
arrest development. Sir R. Borden had been compelled
to resign office on the score of ill-health, and Mr, Hughes
for Australia contended with effect that the Dominions
had achieved all the power they could desire, and had
no more worlds to conquer. This view prevailed and
constitution-making was declared to be unnecessary,
despite the objections raised by General Smuts. The
position of that statesman is easily explained by the
• circumstances of the Union of South Africa. During the
\l Keith,, War Government of the British Dominions, p. 85.