▁bur den ▁associated ▁with ▁def ending ▁the ▁emp ire . ▁In ▁Australia , ▁particularly ▁after ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁War , ▁this ▁imperial ist ▁vision ▁was ▁emb rac ed ▁with ▁considerable ▁sympathy . ▁Is ol ated ▁by ▁the ▁vast ▁Pacific ▁Ocean , ▁where ▁German , ▁French ▁and ▁Japanese ▁imperial ism ▁seemed ▁to ▁ro am ▁un checked , ▁imperial ▁feder ation ▁offered ▁Australia ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁ensure ▁that ▁its ▁interests ▁were ▁kept ▁front ▁and ▁centre ▁when ▁British ▁decision - m akers ▁t ink ered ▁with ▁the ▁disposition ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire ' s ▁naval ▁resources . ▁Canad ians , ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁were ▁dis ill usion ed ▁by ▁the ▁Bo er ▁War ▁and ▁were ▁increasing ly ▁al ar med ▁by ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁imperial ▁feder ation . ▁The ▁country ' s ▁significant ▁French - Can ad ian ▁minor ity , ▁prof ound ly ▁North ▁American ▁in ▁out look ▁and ▁s cept ical ▁of ▁Britain ' s ▁imperial ▁mission , ▁viewed ▁the ▁imperial ▁connection ▁as ▁a ▁trap ▁whose ▁only ▁purpose ▁was ▁to ▁force ▁the ▁self - g over ning ▁domin ions ▁to ▁assume ▁greater ▁responsibility ▁for ▁imperial ▁defence . ▁ ▁By ▁common ▁consent , ▁the ▁prime ▁minister s ▁of ▁Britain ' s ▁self - g over ning ▁domin ions ▁sk irt ed ▁this ▁content ious ▁issue ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁Col onial ▁Conference . ▁The ▁question , ▁however , ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁avoided ▁in def initely . ▁Fr ustr ated ▁by ▁his ▁repeated ▁in ability ▁to ▁persu ade ▁Britain ▁to ▁e