BRITONS AND THE EMPIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 85, 9 April 1906, Page 4

BRITONS AND THE EMPIRE.

Sir John Forrest has hit upon a striking feature of British Imperialism which is too often lost sight of in the confusion of minor grievances and petty quarrels. Speaking at the Anglo-Saxon Club banquet in London last week, he pointed out that the Australian policy of conserving British'colonies as far as possible for men of British race is based not upon parochial selfishness, but on a broad and deep conviction as to the present needs and the future prospects of the Empire, The conception of a British Empire in which everywhere the British element should predominate is indeed a splendid Imperial ideal. And though the popular cry for a White Australia has often been raised by men who ar© concerned chiefly about their own temporary interests, there is behind it a sentiment which British Imperialists should appreciate rather than condemn. As Sir John Forrest thinks, the notion that we should fill up the Empire with anybody and everybody who can make money out of it, is a make-shift and meaningless negation of policy; and we trust that those who are dealing with the difficult problem of Chinese labour in the Transvaal will consider for a moment the obvious application of this colonial statesman's outspoken criticism. For ourselves, we have at least the consolation of knowing that we in New Zealand are doing our best to attract to this country immigrants of British race, and to reserve for men and women of our own nationality the heritage that our fathers have bequeathed to us. This belief in the British nation and the Empire implies no hostility to aliens. But our first duty is to our own nation and our own country; and we believe with Sir John Forrest that the higher Imperialism for which both England and the colonies are working will be best attained by encouraging the British race as far as posible to populate every quarter of Britain's world-wide Empire.