According to a report, in 1956 the British and french prime ministers, Anthony Eden and Guy Mollet discussed a proposal that France join the commonwealth. The following year France signed the treaty of Rome, reportedly establishing the european economic council which became the eu. In November 1956 Britain and France tried to capture the Suez canal but withdrew, thought to be due to a lack of international support. Reportedly Lord Mountbatten said that the queen was against the invasion. Anthony Eden disagreed. Two months later he resigned.
On entering politics in the early 1920’s Eden reportedly wanted to specialise in foreign affairs. He wrote for the Yorkshire post under the pseudonym ‘Backbencher’. In 1931 he became under secretary for foreign affairs but according to a source was dropped because of objections to Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement with regard to Hitler and nazi Germany. In 1923 in the house of commons he was said to have been criticised for opposing undue French disarmament. He fell out of favour.
In 1934 he was appointed a nominal secretarial position in the newly formed league of nations but appeared to do well. He met Hitler reportedly in 1935, and was said to have warned against persisting in policies that would consolidate against the whole league of nations. He proceeded to meet Stalin of Russia. No conflict of interests were noted.
The commonwealth consists of 54 nations, all of which were dominians of the British empire. Reportedly it is a voluntary organisation, the head being Elizabeth II. The secretary-general or head of the central institution is the Baroness Scotland of Athsai. The post of chair-in-office is held by Boris Johnson. A recurring theme is common allegiance to the crown. The statute of Westminster, 1931 is ambiguous as it sanctions legislative independence of the dominions and binds them to seek approval in return for monarchical titles. Modified versions are said to be domestic law in Australia and Canada. New Zealand repealed the statute of Westminster which reportedly had the effect of making dominians more independent.
The London declaration of 1949 was issued following an Indian intention to become a republic which was discussed in the 1949 commonwealth prime ministers conference. Four days before the conference Ireland declared itself a free state. Only eight parties attended the conference, the theme being whether a commonwealth state could become a republic and remain in the commonwealth, and if so would it have the same status as those who had the British sovereign as head of state.
The term ‘commonwealth’ was first used officially in the Anglo Irish treaty of 1921. The text of which provided for an Irish free state within a year as a self governing dominion of the commonwealth of nations, known as the British empire. The anglo-Irish trade agreement of 1938 stipulated that Ireland had to pay the sum of £10 million to the united kingdom, reportedly for loans given to anglo Irish farmers to compensate for the compulsory purchase of their land.