1926 Imperial Conference

{{Short description|Conference between nations in the Commonwealth}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}} {{Infobox summit meeting | summit_name = 1926 Imperial Conference | other_titles = | image = File:ImperialConferenceDinner1926.jpg | alt = | caption = | country = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]] | date = {{nowrap|19 October 1926}}–<br />{{nowrap|23 November 1926}} | venues = Lancaster House | cities = [[London]] | participants =  | heads_of_state_label = {{nowrap|Heads of State}} or Government | heads_of_state = 8 | chairperson = [[Stanley Baldwin]] ([[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]]) | follows = [[1923 Imperial Conference|1923]] | precedes = [[1930 Imperial Conference|1930]] | keypoints = [[Balfour Declaration of 1926|Balfour Declaration]], constitutional arrangements }}

The '''1926 Imperial Conference''' was the fifth [[Imperial Conference]] bringing together the prime ministers of the [[Dominion]]s of the [[British Empire]]. It was held in London from 19 October to 23 November 1926.<ref name="The Balfour Formula">{{cite journal |last=Marshall |first=Sir Peter |date=September 2001 |title=The Balfour Formula and the Evolution of the Commonwealth |journal=[[The Round Table Journal|The Round Table]] |volume=90 |issue=361 |pages=541–53 |doi=10.1080/00358530120082823 |s2cid=143421201 }}</ref> The conference was notable for producing the [[Balfour Declaration of 1926|Balfour Declaration]], which established the principle that the dominions are all equal in status, and "autonomous communities within the British Empire" not subordinate to the United Kingdom.<ref name="The Balfour Formula" /> The term "[[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]]" was officially adopted to describe the community.<ref name=green>{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of European Imperialism|year=1991|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|location=Westport, Connecticut|isbn=0313262578|pages=297–298|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uyqepNdgUWkC&q=colonial+conference+1897&pg=PA297}}</ref>

The conference was arranged to follow directly after the 1926 [[League of Nations#Permanent organs|Assembly]] of the [[League of Nations]] (in [[Geneva]], [[Switzerland]]), to reduce the amount of travelling required for the dominions' representatives.

The conference created the Inter-Imperial Relations Committee, chaired by [[Arthur Balfour]], to look into future constitutional arrangements for the Commonwealth. In the end, the committee rejected the idea of a [[codified constitution]], as espoused by South Africa's former Prime Minister [[Jan Smuts]], but also fell short of endorsing the "end of empire" espoused by Smuts's arch-rival, [[J. B. M. Hertzog|Barry Hertzog]].<ref name="The Balfour Formula" /> The recommendations were adopted unanimously by the conference on 15 November, followed by an equally warm reception in the newspapers.<ref name="The Balfour Formula" />

==Participants== The conference was hosted by [[King-Emperor]] [[George V]], with his Prime Ministers and members of their respective cabinets:

{| class="wikitable" |- ! Nation ! Name ! Portfolio |- | rowspan=14|{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] | [[Stanley Baldwin]] | [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] (chairman) |- | [[Arthur Balfour|The Earl of Balfour]] | [[Lord President of the Council]] |- | [[Winston Churchill]] | [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] |- | [[Sir Austen Chamberlain]] | [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|Foreign Secretary]] |- | [[William Joynson-Hicks, 1st Viscount Brentford|Sir William Joynson-Hicks]] | [[Home Secretary]] |- | [[Leo Amery]] | [[Secretary of State for the Colonies|Colonial Secretary]] and [[Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs|Dominions Secretary]] |- | [[Sir Laming Worthington-Evans, 1st Baronet|Sir Laming Worthington-Evans]] | [[Secretary of State for War|War Secretary]] |- | [[Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood|Sir Samuel Hoare]] | [[Secretary of State for Air|Air Secretary]] |- | [[William Bridgeman, 1st Viscount Bridgeman|William Bridgeman]] | [[Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty|First Lord of the Admiralty]] |- | [[Philip Cunliffe-Lister, 1st Earl of Swinton|Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister]] | [[Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills|President of the Board of Trade]] |- | [[Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood|The Viscount Cecil of Chelwood]] | [[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]] |- | [[George Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon|The Earl of Clarendon]] | [[Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs|Under Dominions Secretary]] |- | [[William Ormsby-Gore, 4th Baron Harlech|William Ormsby-Gore]] | [[Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies|Under Colonial Secretary]] |- | [[Sir Philip Sassoon, 3rd Baronet|Sir Philip Sassoon]] | [[Under-Secretary of State for Air|Under Air Secretary]] |- | rowspan=3|{{flagicon|Australia}} [[Australia]] | [[Stanley Bruce]] | [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] |- | [[Sir Neville Howse]] | [[Minister for Defence (Australia)|Minister for Defence]] and [[Minister for Health (Australia)|Minister for Health]] |- | [[John Latham (judge)|John Latham]] | [[Attorney-General of Australia|Attorney-General]] |- | rowspan=2|{{Country|Canada|1921}} | [[William Lyon Mackenzie King]] | [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] |- | [[Ernest Lapointe]] | [[Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada|Minister of Justice and Attorney General]] |- | rowspan=2|{{flagicon|British Raj}} [[British Raj|India]] | [[F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead|The Earl of Birkenhead]] | [[Secretary of State for India|Secretary of State]] |- | [[Edward Turnour, 6th Earl Winterton|The Earl of Winterton]] | [[Under-Secretary of State for India|Under-Secretary of State]] |- | rowspan=5|{{flagicon|Irish Free State}} [[Irish Free State]] | [[W. T. Cosgrave]] | [[President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State|President of the Executive Council]] |- | [[Kevin O'Higgins]] | [[Vice-President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State|Vice-President of the Executive Council]] and [[Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration|Minister for Justice]] |- | [[Desmond FitzGerald (politician)|Desmond FitzGerald]] | [[Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade|Minister for External Affairs]] |- | [[Patrick McGilligan (Fine Gael politician)|Patrick McGilligan]] | [[Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment|Minister for Industry and Commerce]] |- | [[James McNeill]] | [[List of ambassadors of Ireland to the United Kingdom|Irish High Commissioner to United Kingdom]] |- | rowspan=3|{{flagicon|Newfoundland}} [[Dominion of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]] | [[Walter Stanley Monroe]] | [[Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador|Prime Minister]] |- | [[William J. Higgins]] | Minister of Justice |- | [[Alfred B. Morine]] | [[Minister without portfolio]] |- | rowspan=2|{{flagicon|New Zealand}} [[New Zealand]] | [[Gordon Coates]] | [[Prime Minister of New Zealand|Prime Minister]] |- | [[Francis Bell (New Zealand politician)|Sir Francis Bell]] | [[Minister without portfolio]] |- | rowspan=2|{{flagicon|South Africa|1912}} [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]] | [[J. B. M. Hertzog]] | [[Prime Minister of South Africa|Prime Minister]] |- | [[Nicolaas Havenga]] | [[Minister of Finance (South Africa)|Finance Minister]] |- |}

==References== ===Citations=== {{Reflist}}

===Sources=== * {{cite journal |url=http://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&d=AJHR1927-I.2.1.2.9&e=-------10--1------0-- |title=Imperial Conference, 1926. Summary of Proceedings |journal=Journals of the [New Zealand] House of Representatives |location=Wellington |volume=Session I, Appendix, A-06 |date=1927 }} * {{Cite book |url=http://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL067254.pdf |title=Imperial Conference, 1926. Summary of Proceedings |publisher=Stationery Office |location=Dublin |date=December 1926 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Imperial Conference 1926}} [[Category:Imperial Conference]] [[Category:History of the Commonwealth of Nations]] [[Category:1926 in London]] [[Category:1926 in international relations]] [[Category:Second premiership of William Lyon Mackenzie King]] [[Category:Organised events in London]] [[Category:1926 in the British Empire]] [[Category:1926 conferences]] [[Category:October 1926 in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:November 1926 in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:1920s in the City of Westminster]] [[Category:George V]] [[Category:Stanley Baldwin]] [[Category:Winston Churchill]] [[Category:Arthur Balfour]]