THE NATION AND THE EMPIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 177, 26 July 1913, Page 14

THE NATION AND THE EMPIRE.

SPEECHES AND ADDRESSES BY LORD MILNER, G.C.B. Constable and Co., Ltd. 10/0. Lord Milner has had a long and distinguished career us a ruler ol" the Empire: and in later years he lias -taken an active part in national affairs ao a member of the d!ov_e. of Lords. He thus possesses the qualifications of firsthand knowledge when discussing Imperial questions, and his utterances always carry considerable, weight. The selection of the addresses included in this volume has been nide by Mr. W. Boyd, to whose prompting Lord Milner attributes the determination to publish the work. He mentions that speeches of a distinctly parly diameter have been omitted, and puts in a plea for dealing with Imperial, economic and social problems from a non-party point of view, lie avows his i conviction that "" the number of men proj foundly interested in public affairs, and anxious to discharge their full duty as citizens, who are in revolt against the rigidity and insincerity of our present party system, is very considerable, and steadily increasing, nnd that they only need to stand together to make themselves felt. They may never attempt to form a new party of their own; indeed, it is not a new party that is wanted. It is the encouragement of the national as opposed to party spirit. What tihcy could do with a little organisation would be lo play the umpire between parties, and to make the unscrupulous pursuit of mere parly advantage "an unprofitable game." On Ihe .subject of National Defence. Lord Milner states: f My own conviction has been, and is. that while Uie United Kingdom does not need an army of the same size or character as those of great Continental nations, it does need ,-uch an increase of its military strength as our present system can never give us. That necessary increase of strength can. I believe, only he obtained by calling on the whole able-bodied youth of the nation to undergo, on the threshold of manhood, a period of regular rrrilitaretraining. But. in order that that period of training may be effective, and yet not excessively long, the young men who enter upon it should .be 'physically lit. and mentally alert, ami accustomed to discipline. But these are joist the qualities which we must desire them to have in any case, and which oiK-thing like a perfect system of national education would aim at giving them. Thus tiie exigencies of national defence may lead us lo a readier acceptance of the ideals of educational and social reformers." Lord Milner's views on Imperialism are thus expressed: "I can imagine no higher ideal which can animate the citizens of my country at the present time than that of a great and continuous national life, shared with us by our kinsmen, who have built up new communities in di_stant parts of the earth, enabling them and us together to uphold our traditional principles of freedom, order and justice, and to discharge with crcasing efficiency our duty as guardians of the more backward races who have come, under our sway. That idea! seems to me to emhrace all the worthiest aims, whether of narrower or wider -,«-ope, which ißritish statesmanship ran pursue, ami to give to all who are engaged, in any branch of public life a central meeting-ground and a common inspiration." The speeches Include many delivered dtrrirg the South African war. reviewing the situation which arose there rn the course of the conflict and suhsc"qu.eiit!v. Also, addresses on the subject of preferential trade, national sorvk-e. the consolidation of the Empire, British finance, sweated industries, and other important qircstrjons affecting the Empire.