IMPERIAL PRESS CONFERENCE.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 286, 7 June 1909, Page 5

IMPERIAL PRESS CONFERENCE.

A REMARKABLE GATHERING. Press Assn— By telegraph— Copyright. ; LONDON, yesterday. For enthusiasm and representative - eluiarcter the banquet at which .600 were present in the largest hall in ' London, 'ay as one of the most remark- / able gatherings ever held in the Empire's capital. It was, moreover, memorable for the- oration, holding the hearers spellbound and transmitting the most striking moving message from every corner of the British • Dominions. Sir Edward Bumhani, Lieutenant ' of the City -of- London and President f of "the Institute of British Journalr .ists, presided, all the conference dele- "■ dates and every leading; Journalist in ■ the country being present. b - The guests included' General laai 3 Hamilton, Lord Northlciffe, Max } Pembertou, Sit Douglas Straight, Mr J George Parkin, Topvesentativo of the - Rhodes' Scholarship Trust, and Lord > Faber. . • Among the decorations were symbolic Imperial designs and the. musi- ■ cal. programme included national - songs of Great and Greater Britain. King Edward sent a warm response- - to a loyal telegram hoping that he would long.be spared to the people and tho Empire. ; ' Lord Rosebery made the speech of the evening,, which was generally pronounced as being nothing less than wonderful., and perhaps his most brilliant effort. In welcoming the • delegates he emphasised the enormous importance of the gathering. 3 N ' Referring to the Conference of > Prime* Ministers of the Empire and k in regard to the disparagement of • those' gatherings ho said that the present Imperial one was more important still. The Ministries were transient while tho ])ower of the great newspapers in gathering and embodying public opinion, immeasurably, exceeded the statesman's. The best, the simplest words on the present occasion—the only two essential- — perhaps tho sweetest mortal could hear 1 — were, "Welcome Home." Prolongs ed cheer.) '■, This is the motto of tho occasion: t '•'Welcome to' your home." (Renewed cheers.) t Proceeding, with delicate pathos and flashes of humor and satire, he drew a vivid picture of what the delegates who had .arrived would, see of .' Britain., past and present, including the prodigious, but always 4 inadequate, Armada, protecting her shore?*. , • "All these, ; gentlemen)" ho exclaimed, I "arc yours as much as ours." Then he asked what had they brought? . adding that more important to. theMotherland than anything they could take from her, the. best they could 0 bring was the knowledge about them? a selves) their communities, .their as- » pirations, their- politics. . • ■ • Latterly, according to. tho favorite practice of retired politicians, he had dreamed a dream and pictured Par-, liament voting supplies for two years, ■ and packing itself up. in obsolete Avar r • ships (now so readily scrapped) and .going oil a trip; to; discover, something about the. Empire. Meanwhile, the 3 Motherland was governed, much as it 1 was now, by the heads of the perma- > nent departments, who wore of some ", use, a.nd perhaps greater confidence! 3 wolud result in its welfaro under such well - ordered control. (Laughter.) Poors would naturally pay ; their own expenses of tho tour. The House of Commons would vote taxes, anjd the Lords pay thorn. ,'/' H© next dwelt upon t-he surprises to b© gained in tho countries visited during the imagined tour. The discovery, for instance, in democratic Canada, of the Premier holding^^is i own against buffets innumerable. . x Next they .would c-Ojino to New Zealand, carrying out, in a total absence of tradition or complexity, the politics we were endeavoring to construct. Lord Rosebory continued that he • was astonished at the virility of Australia sustaining .seven legislatures. Referring to South Africa as the >- greatest modern success in Empire building, ho said ho Avould avoid Uganda lost he disturb the privacy of tho ox-president. y Finally, after a tribute to Mr Hon- '- nikor-HToaton's activity, Ixxrd . Roses'' bery, altering his mood, [. with, extraordinary impressiveness :- the state of Europe on its surface so >> calm, and its overpowering prepara--1 tion for war. fie added that Bri>f tain was determined to spend, if need d be, her last shilling on a Dreadr nought. He was "not sure if'.eyon i.-that would be enough. Possibly, it [l was their duty to carry out the Domn inion's message. The' same personal '- duty of responsibility for ..' defence °' rested on every, citizen. • He. empha- ' s sised tho deplorable- condition of \- Europe, "rattling into barbarianism." ■c Thus pressure- was being put on this ie little England- to: defend itself, iis ?~ liberties and theirs. . P . V H'« , added : "Take this message v- hack also: The Old Country i.s right *~ I at heart. There is no failing or } " wi-aUno-'j* in her. She rejoires hi rcb, new ing' her youth in her giant'Dom- :!. i moils, Beyond tho Seas. For her • own salvation sho must look to her-

self, and that failing, she must look to you." (Received this day, 8.55- a.m.) LONDON, Yesterday. The delegates were the Hon. LloydGeorge's guests at breakfast at Downing street on Tuesday. The Admiralty function will take place on the 12th, when each delegate will he presented -with a handsome volume of photographs 1 of the Dreadnought at full steam, submarines, surface diving, 'submerged and benched ; destroyers at top speed, also battleships and gun practice.